Statement: Transparency Groups Call On Gov Cuomo To Issue Exec Order Saving Emails 7 Years.

BetaNYC • Citizens Union • Common Cause NY 
 Environmental Advocates of NY
NYPIRG • League of Women Voters of New York 

OpenPlans • Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic 
 Participatory Politics Foundation • Reinvent Albany 
 Riverkeeper • Sunlight Foundation

Tri-State Transportation Campaign

Transparency Groups Call On Governor Cuomo to Issue
Executive Order Saving State Emails For 7 Years

New York should match proposed federal email transparency;
no reason Governor’s email transparency contingent on legislature.

March 13, 2015

Our groups call on Governor Andrew Cuomo to match proposed federal email transparency standards by issuing an executive order that requires that all state emails be saved for a minimum of 7 years.

We call on Governor Cuomo to issue this executive order regardless of what the state legislature does or does not do – Governor Cuomo has the unilateral authority to increase email transparency, and he should.

President Barack Obama’s administration has proposed a policy of saving all federal emails for a minimum of 7 years based upon the recommendation of the National Archives. The Federal government is adapting this standard because saving emails for at least 7 years is good management policy and increases transparency. President Obama’s proposed email policy does not depend on Congress extending the Freedom of Information Act to itself.

While our groups strongly support extending the state Freedom of Information Law to include the state legislature, we see no reason why Governor Cuomo cannot adopt a policy of saving state emails for 7 years regardless of what the legislature does. The issue here is increasing government transparency, and Governor Cuomo has the unilateral power to do that by matching the proposed federal policy of saving emails for 7 years.

For additional comment please contact:

Noel Hidalgo, Beta NYC
Dick Dadey, Citizens Union
Susan Lerner, Common Cause NY
Peter Iwanowicz, Environmental Advocates of NY Barbara Bartoletti, League of Women Voters NYS
Russ Haven, NY Public Interest Research Group
Frank Hebbert, OpenPlans
Daniel Estrin, Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic David Moore, Participatory Politics Foundation
John Kaehny, Reinvent Albany
Paul Gallay, Riverkeeper
Emily Shaw, Sunlight Foundation
Veronica Vanterpool, Tri-State Transportation Campaign