When we kicked off Sunshine Week, we noted that FOIA reform — already passed by the House — was being considered by the Senate. Now, with some important modifications, it has passed the Senate, so let’s take a look at what will change for requesters.

Ever since “John Hancock” became synonymous with signing one’s name, it’s been no secret that public servants like to leave their mark in style. Since 2014, MuckRock has been featuring the most most impressive signoffs in transparency as part of our “Great Signatures of FOIA” series, and now, for the first time, in honor of Sunshine Week, we’re putting them all in the same place.

The records community was practically built on a communal necessity to avoid gaslighting-by-government. And if Sunshine Week is the annual choral concert, then Bureau of Prisons basically asks to have its discord sung.

If you only have a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail - and as we’ve learned over the years from many an overenthusiastic FOIA officer, if you only have a Sharpie, then every document looks classified. As part of our Sunshine Week coverage, we put together a list of the most ridiculous redactions we’ve (un)seen.

This Sunshine Week, as the Freedom of Information Act nears 50, take a moment to imagine how public records should work for the people in 2016 and beyond. Share your ideas of how to #FixFOIABy50, and also take a minute to celebrate what an amazing process FOIA and your state public records laws already are.

Everyone in the world of public records has at least one experience that’s straight out of Kafka - maybe the agency gave an estimated completion date of next century, or the “responsive documents” turned out to be a couple hundred blank pages.

In that spirit of commiseration, MuckRock is proud to announce that we’re partnering again with EFF for the second-annual “Foilies” Awards.