Explainers
Short pieces that help neighbors use the public rule book.
Each explainer carries four things: a human reason, a fact anchor, a teaching point, and a clean next question. Anything that does none of those stays in the long version.
Short version drafted · long version in progress
The Rule Book Is Public
Oregon public-records law in plain language. You do not get a city or county to act by asking nicely. You get them to act by asking, in writing, that they follow their own rules.
Read explainerDrafted · May 14, 2026
Where Do Albany Public Comments Go?
Written public comments are part of the public record. So why are they not as visible and searchable as the agenda packet, summary, minutes, and video?
Read explainerOutlined
How to File a Records Request Without Over-Talking
Specific subject lines, statutory citations, and how to ask for the search behind the search.
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How to Read a No-Records Reply
What "no responsive records" actually means — and the follow-up records that should still exist.
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How to Ask for the Search Behind a Search
Custodians, search terms, date ranges, and message-trace requests in plain language.
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What a Retention Window Means and Why the Clock Matters
Bodycam, email, and meeting-record retention schedules — and what to ask for before they expire.
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Using AI to Organize Without Pretending It's a Lawyer
AI as a tool for reading statutes, building timelines, and preparing requests — not as legal counsel.
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How to Preserve Receipts and Emails Before You Need Them
Kitchen-table evidence preservation: exports, hashes, screenshots, and folders that hold up.
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