Advisory Opinions Library
Search and research 1,071 opinions published by the Minnesota Department of Administration (1993–present). New to the legal archive? Try Exploring by topic.
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Advisory Opinion 14-002 14-002Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13, what is the classification of data in an arbitration decision that sustains a grievance and reverses all aspects of any disciplinary action against a public employee?
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Advisory Opinion 14-001 14-001Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13, did the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board respond appropriately to a request for data about the January 7, 2014 executive session related to a conciliatio…
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Advisory Opinion 13-015 13-015A member of the public asked various questions about whether a township’s park commission was subject to Chapter 13D, the Open Meeting Law (OML) and whether the township complied with various other provisions of the OML…
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Advisory Opinion 13-014 13-014A government entity asked whether its method of creating summary data complied with Chapter 13. The data requester argued that the entity’s method did not create a risk of uniquely identifying an individual. In concludi…
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Advisory Opinion 13-013 13-013A City asked about the classification of data on a driver’s license magnetic stripe and driving citations that it wanted to collect, create, and maintain. The City argued that the data were public arrest data, pursuant …
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Advisory Opinion 13-012 13-012A member of the public asked whether a city council had properly closed a meeting for labor negotiation strategies and developments pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, sections 13D.01 and 13D.03. The Commissioner opined tha…
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Advisory Opinion 13-011 13-011A school district interviewed a student about his/her alleged involvement in an incident off school property. The district gave the student an oral Tennessen warning, which did not meet the full statutory notice require…
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Advisory Opinion 13-010 13-010A member of the public sought access from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety/ Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (DPS/BCA) Archive Service Repository to certain license plate data. BCA and the local law enforcement …
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Advisory Opinion 13-009 13-009A city council held a meeting using Skype to include a council member at a remote location outside of Minnesota, meeting all requirements in section 13D.02. The council complied with section13D.02, because it used Skype…
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Advisory Opinion 13-008 13-008Each administrator of a Minnesota Veterans Home is a “public official” for purposes of section 13.43, subd. 2(e)(3), because under section 198.005, each administrator acts as the administrative head for his/her veterans…
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Advisory Opinion 13-007 13-007A member of the public requested a school district’s data practices access policies and procedures required by sections 13.025 and 13.03. The district replied that it did not maintain a single written document that deta…
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Advisory Opinion 13-005 13-005Note: this opinion relates to 13-001. A member of the public sought access to data related to a request for proposal (RFP) under section 13.591, subd. 3(b) and 4(a). The entity cancelled procurement for the original con…
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Advisory Opinion 13-006 13-006An entity asked about the classification of grades and GPAs on undergraduate and graduate transcripts provided to the entity. Section 13.43, classifies “education and training background” data as public, but does not de…
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Advisory Opinion 13-004 13-004A member of the public asked for access to data related to the departure of a director in a city, pursuant to 2012 amendments to section 13.43, subdivision 2(e)(iii). Although the director worked in a management capacit…
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Advisory Opinion 13-003 13-003A member of the public asked whether an entity responded appropriately to a request for property inspection data. The requester made her original request in December of 2011, after which the entity stated that she had r…
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Advisory Opinion 13-002 13-002A member of the public asked whether an entity responded properly to a request for certain personnel data it maintained. The requester asked for copies of the job application and supplement of a current employee. The en…
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Advisory Opinion 13-001 13-001A member of the public sought access to data related to a request for proposal (RFP) under the process in section 13.591, subd. 3(b). The entity cancelled procurement for the original contract prior to completion of the…
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Advisory Opinion 12-019 12-019An entity asked whether communications sent by its board members from their personal accounts and equipment were government data and if so, how those data were classified. When the board members were acting in their off…
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Advisory Opinion 12-018 12-018A member of the public asked whether an entity improperly released private data about a board member. At the time it released data to the public, the entity’s human resources director considered board members to be enti…
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Advisory Opinion 12-017 12-017A reporter asked a county attorney for access to data about a crime lab. The attorney stated to the Commissioner that the requested data are used, collected, stored and disseminated exclusively in connection with his pr…
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Advisory Opinion 12-016 12-016A newspaper asked whether a county responded appropriately to its request for access to voter challenge status data. The County responded that the names and/or numbers of voters whose eligibility was challenged by the C…
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Advisory Opinion 12-015 12-015A charter school asked whether it was required to share not public data with the Minnesota Board of Teaching, following an initial report to the Board by the school. The Commissioner determined that pursuant to Minnesot…
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Advisory Opinion 12-014 12-014A County asked whether implementing a web-based automated crime mapping program would violate the rights of data subjects. The Commissioner opined that certain data subjects’ rights could be violated by the automated sy…
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Advisory Opinion 12-013 12-013The Commissioner determined that an entity appropriately denied a request for access to all data about a particular program, including data on employees who participated in the program, because the program as a whole is…
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Advisory Opinion 12-012 12-012A County asked about the classification of the name and cancelled check of a donor to a County project who wished to remain anonymous. The Commissioner determined that the data are not classified under Minnesota Statute…