New York was one of the last states in the nation to pass a law granting the public the right to information. We owe a debt of gratitude to Assemblymember John Terry from Syracuse, who first introduced the bill in 1970. After Terry left the Assembly to serve in Congress, Assemblymember Donald Taylor from Watertown continued to push the bill for several years before it finally passed.
In 1971, Taylor conducted a survey of 60 state agencies regarding their public disclosure policies. The only agency that expressed interest in expanding access to its records was the State Consumer Protection Board. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority responded, “none of the records and documents of this agency are available to the public.”
At a public hearing, Taylor held in 1971, the only witness strongly in favor of the bill was a representative from the NY Civil Liberties Union. A representative of the Association of Towns summed up the attitude of local and state agencies, stating:
“Everybody is in favor of the principles, but all have a loud ‘but’. So do I.”
Democracy at the local level depends on the public’s right to information. Access to information is the only way the public can hold their elected representatives accountable.
As we mark the 50th anniversary of FOIL, we should review and reflect on how we got here and what reforms are needed moving forward.
We have much more interesting information to share, so stay tuned.
