State integrity news for New York, from the New York Times:

Frustrated with Albany’s tepid reaction to the idea of publicly financed elections, the Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and his fiancé are financing a new campaign to press the issue in coordination with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

The group has also enlisted two former Cuomo aides to help plot its strategy. The campaign, Protect Our Democracy, will include a 501(c)(4) nonprofit group and a political action committee.

Read the rest of of the story at the New York Times.

State integrity news for Indiana, from the South Bend Tribune:

Government works best when public officials are clear on their responsibilities and citizens know their rights. It's to that end that Attorney General Greg Zoeller again this year is organizing a series of Public Access Seminars throughout the state.

The Tribune, along with the AG's office, the Indiana Public Access Counselor's Office and the Hoosier State Press Association, is sponsoring a session that will be held Tuesday at South Bend's Center for History.

Read the rest of the story at the South Bend Tribune.

State Integrity news for Virginia from SII partner WAMU:

Across Virginia, there's almost no detail provided about crime that happens every day. From petty larceny to murder, state police officials routinely deny access to basic documents, such as incident reports.

Earlier this year, a state integrity investigation ranked and graded each of the 50 states on government accountability, transparency and corruption. Virginia got an F.

Lucy Dalglish, of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, says the police are abusing an exemption clause in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

Read and hear more from WAMU - Washington, DC.

State integrity news for Pennsylvania, from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Shortly before the April primary election, the Department of State received 1,700 campaign finance reports. While some were filed electronically, the remaining 1,300 reports, submitted on paper, were sent to a company for data entry. A portion were not posted online until after the election.

That would change under a proposal, supported in concept by Gov. Tom Corbett and leaders in both chambers, to require electronic filing for campaign finance reports to the Department of State.

Read the rest of the story at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

State integrity news for North Carolina from SII partner WFAE:

Recent news of resignations in North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis’ office due to relationships between members of his staff and lobbyists has prompted ethics law questions among some in state politics. The situation has brought up questions about which lobby laws are fair, which don’t make sense, and where more disclosure is needed on the part of the lobby organizations and lawmakers alike. We spend the hour dissecting North Carolina lobby law and talk about what new guidelines might be on the horizon.

Listen to the discussion from WFAE - Charlotte.

State Integrity news for Hawaii from Hawaii Public Radio:

Hawaii earned a "C" grade in the State Integrity Investigation, and advocates in the state are hoping the Investigation's findigns will inspire reforms. Host Beth-Ann Kozlovich discusses the Investigation -- and the next steps -- on Hawaii Public Radio's "Town Square."

Listen to the discussion fron Hawaii Public Radio.

State integrity news for Virginia, from SII partner WAMU:

A court ruling that gives members of the public access to Virginia's voter registration applications could have national implications, according to the advocacy group that filed the lawsuit.

A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week unanimously upheld a lower court's ruling that a federal law mandating openness of voter records trumps a Virginia law restricting access to the information.

Read and hear more from WAMU.

State integrity news for North Dakota, from the Fargo Forum:

North Dakota legislative leaders agreed Tuesday to move forward with a video project that they see as an opportunity to improve public access to the Legislature.

Starting in 2013, video of floor sessions will be recorded and placed online so the public can watch at their leisure. Cameras will also be placed in the two main committee rooms used by Senate and House Appropriations.

Read the rest of the story at the Fargo Forum.

State Integrity news for North Carolina from SII partner WFAE:

Just about anything a government official writes down is subject to public records law. . . which means, you can get your hands on it. That includes internal memos, emails officials send and even the minutes from many meetings held behind closed doors.

But, actually getting those documents can sometimes be a challenge.

Read and hear more from WFAE - Charlotte.

State integrity news for Oklahoma, from The Oklahoman:

This year's budget agreement included $1 million extra for both the Oklahoma House and the Senate. Now that the Senate has extra money, it should use new technology to at least match what the House provides in terms of public access to the legislative process.

For three years, the Oklahoma House has had live video streaming of all floor sessions, with archived video available on-demand through the chamber's website. The Senate should consider a similar upgrade.

Read the rest of the story at The Oklahoman.