Proposed FOI consolidation raises a red flag

While newly elected Gov. Dannel Malloy has shown no desire to be secretive in his work running the state’s business, a troublesome component of his economic plan is raising red flags in local newsrooms, as it proposes merging the state’s Freedom of Information Commission (FOIC) with four other agencies to form a new Office of Government Accountability (OGA).Connecticut citizens are right to question this consolidation of services, which appears in Senate Bill 1009, “An Act Creating the Office of Governmental Accountability,” as it would make it more difficult to maintain a transparent government in Connecticut.Malloy’s plan combines the FOIC with the Offices of State Ethics, Contracting Standards, Judicial Review and State Elections Enforcement to create the new agency, in which one commissioner would be in charge of five departments. A deputy commissioner would be in charge of three operational branches — enforcement, public affairs and general business operations.The exact impact on FOIC in this scenario is not fully explained, but it is clear that the consolidation will result in staff reductions. By reducing FOIC staff and placing additional burdens on them by adding work from the other agencies, the governor’s plan reduces the effectiveness of the FOIC and makes it more difficult for citizens to obtain information in a timely fashion. As many as nine specialized FOI attorneys would be lost in the shuffle, while the remaining staff would take on an increased workload, sharing duties across the OGA.Clearly, the intent of the consolidation is to save money by eliminating duplication of jobs and services. It is estimated that the reduction in staff could save about $1 million, but representatives from the FOIC and other organizations have testified the savings would be negligible. Relocation costs, including new phone and computer systems for the newly consolidated department, would eat up most of the savings, according to FOIC Executive Director Colleen Murphy.Murphy added that consolidation will impede the effectiveness of the commission by stripping it of its independence. “Under the proposal, the head of the new agency would be a gubernatorial appointee, serving at the pleasure of the governor,” she wrote. “It is feared that this proposed change would critically impair the ability of the agency, as a whole and its subordinate divisions, to do their jobs impartially, objectively and in the public interest.”In written testimony to the state Legislature, the Connecticut League of Women voters also opposed the consolidation, pointing out that the FOIC and other citizen commissions currently select their own executive directors, but under the governor’s proposal, the director of OGA would be appointed by the governor. The office would immediately lose the crucial independence it needs to do its job properly, in an age in which government officials and their corporate counterparts need to be watched more closely than ever.Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Commission must maintain its independent budget and governance to work properly, and state legislators know it. Citizens should remind them that they know it, too.

Latest News

Gilbert Kenneth Schoonmaker

WINSTED — Gilbert Kenneth Schoonmaker, of Monroe, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on July 24, 2025, at the age of 77. Born on Jan. 18, 1948, in Winsted, Connecticut to Gilbert and Alta (Bierce) Schoonmaker, Gil spent four decades enjoying life on Highland Lake before settling in Monroe.

He is lovingly survived by his wife of 56 years, Sally (Gustafson) Schoonmaker, and his two daughters, Lynn Sindland and her husband Lee of Lead Hill, Arkansas, and Deb Pikiell and her husband Tim of Bristol, Connecticut. Gil was a proud grandfather to Ozzie, Tommy, Betsy, Katie, George, Lucy, Maddie, Joey, and Julia, and he cherished his time with his eight great-grandchildren. Gilbert leaves behind his siblings Ann, Gary, Gail, Jan, and Tim.

Keep ReadingShow less
Books and bites beckon at the upcoming Sharon Summer Book Signing

Author and cartoonist Peter Steiner signed books at Sharon Summer Book Signing last summer.

Photo by Stephanie Stanton

The 27th annual Sharon Summer Book Signing at the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon will be held Friday, Aug. 1, from 4:45 to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 3, at noon.

Friday’s festivities will honor libraries and the power of the written word. In attendance will be 29 locally and nationally recognized authors whose books will be for sale. With a wide array of genres including historical fiction, satire, thrillers, young adult and non-fiction, there will be something for every reader.

Keep ReadingShow less
Voices from Ukraine to America come to Stissing Center July 27

Ukraine Emergency Fundraiser at The Stissing Center in 2022 raised over $120,000 for Sunflower of Peace.

Photo by Michael Churton

The spirit of Ukraine will be on display at the Stissing Center in Pine Plains on Sunday, July 27. Beginning at 5 p.m., the “Words to America from Ukraine” fundraiser is set to showcase the simultaneous beauty of Ukrainian culture and the war-time turmoil it faces, all the while fundraising in support of Ukrainian freedom.

“Words to America from Ukraine” aims to remind and spread awareness for the suffering that often gets forgotten by those who live in comfortable worlds, explained Leevi Ernits, an organizer for the event. “We are trying to make an attempt to remind people that we are human, and we are connected with human values,” she said. “With very few words, poetry can express very deep values.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Grumbling Gryphons’ set to celebrate 45th anniversary with gala and summer theater camp

Celebrating its 45th year, the Grumbling Gryphons will perform at HVRHS Friday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m.

Photo provided

The Grumbling Gryphons Traveling Children’s Theater is preparing to celebrate its 45th year — not with fanfare, but with feathers, fabric, myth, chant, and a gala finale bursting with young performers and seasoned artists alike.

The Gryphons’ 2025 Summer Theater Arts Camp begins July 28 and culminates in a one-night-only performance gala at Housatonic Valley Regional High School on Friday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. Founder, playwright, and artistic director, Leslie Elias has been weaving together the worlds of myth, movement and theater for decades.

Keep ReadingShow less