The [Freedom of Information Act,](https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2016/jul/05/foia-its-life-and/) a landmark piece of legislation for transparency, was signed into law on July 4, 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Since its passage, journalists, researchers, activists and regular citizens have come together to request government documents, making politics more transparent and democracies more informed.
Get in the spirit of the holidays by making your own public records request from your fellow MuckRockers.
## 🎇 Shoes off, laptops out of bags and no fireworks
While many of us are concerned with keeping our liquids under 3 ounces, some travelers have brought fireworks and other banned items through airport checkpoints. A decade ago, MuckRock requester Donald Triplett III wanted to know how many fireworks were seized by the Transportation Security Administration during the Fourth of July holiday.
The TSA responded to the [request](https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-america-10/july-4th-fireworks-and-tsa-checkpoints-12454/#comms) showing [a total of 125 fireworks](https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-america-10/july-4th-fireworks-and-tsa-checkpoints-12454/#file-42054) seized from between June 29th, 2014 and July 7th, 2014.
## 🎆 The cost of firework displays in your town
While you enjoy your city’s fireworks display, take the time to ask yourself: How much did that cost?
MuckRock’s own Michael Morisy asked that [same question of the city of Bartlett in Tennessee](https://www.muckrock.com/foi/bartlett-727/2013-fireworks-extravaganza-inventory-6095/). In response to Morisy’s public records request, the city revealed in 2013, their budget for [that year’s firework extravaganza was $18,000](https://www.muckrock.com/foi/bartlett-727/2013-fireworks-extravaganza-inventory-6095/#file-9365).
## 🎂 Celebrate FOIA with some cake
In honor of FOIA’s 50th anniversary in 2016, former MuckRock employee JPat Brown requested [photos of U.S. presidents and cakes](https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2016/jul/04/50-cakes-foia-largest-collection-presidents-and-ca/), from former President Calvin Coolidge to President Barack Obama.
We’re continuing Brown’s tradition by [requesting photos of the former President Donald J. Trump with cake](https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-america-10/photos-of-the-president-with-cake-donald-j-trump-presidential-library-167739/). We’re hoping to avoid Brown’s hurdles obtaining [photos of former President George W. Bush with a cake](https://whowhatwhy.org/politics/government-integrity/bushs-cake-and-foia-red-tape-a-whimsical-look-at-a-serious-transparency-issue/) that resulted in an “estimated completion date of 15 years.”
MuckRock Foundation /
npub1u5…0vv2r
2024-07-08 20:03:33
Author Public Key
npub1u5nfvj4dzzmrcf9n5kptl26w7kfhc4vml0ll8svvhrv5jz2es46sl0vv2rPublished at
2024-07-08 20:03:33Event JSON
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"content": "The [Freedom of Information Act,](https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2016/jul/05/foia-its-life-and/) a landmark piece of legislation for transparency, was signed into law on July 4, 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. \n\nSince its passage, journalists, researchers, activists and regular citizens have come together to request government documents, making politics more transparent and democracies more informed.\n\nGet in the spirit of the holidays by making your own public records request from your fellow MuckRockers. \n\n ## 🎇 Shoes off, laptops out of bags and no fireworks\n\nWhile many of us are concerned with keeping our liquids under 3 ounces, some travelers have brought fireworks and other banned items through airport checkpoints. A decade ago, MuckRock requester Donald Triplett III wanted to know how many fireworks were seized by the Transportation Security Administration during the Fourth of July holiday. \n\nThe TSA responded to the [request](https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-america-10/july-4th-fireworks-and-tsa-checkpoints-12454/#comms) showing [a total of 125 fireworks](https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-america-10/july-4th-fireworks-and-tsa-checkpoints-12454/#file-42054) seized from between June 29th, 2014 and July 7th, 2014. \n\n## 🎆 The cost of firework displays in your town\n\nWhile you enjoy your city’s fireworks display, take the time to ask yourself: How much did that cost? \n\nMuckRock’s own Michael Morisy asked that [same question of the city of Bartlett in Tennessee](https://www.muckrock.com/foi/bartlett-727/2013-fireworks-extravaganza-inventory-6095/). In response to Morisy’s public records request, the city revealed in 2013, their budget for [that year’s firework extravaganza was $18,000](https://www.muckrock.com/foi/bartlett-727/2013-fireworks-extravaganza-inventory-6095/#file-9365). \n\n## 🎂 Celebrate FOIA with some cake \n\nIn honor of FOIA’s 50th anniversary in 2016, former MuckRock employee JPat Brown requested [photos of U.S. presidents and cakes](https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2016/jul/04/50-cakes-foia-largest-collection-presidents-and-ca/), from former President Calvin Coolidge to President Barack Obama.\n\nWe’re continuing Brown’s tradition by [requesting photos of the former President Donald J. Trump with cake](https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-america-10/photos-of-the-president-with-cake-donald-j-trump-presidential-library-167739/). We’re hoping to avoid Brown’s hurdles obtaining [photos of former President George W. Bush with a cake](https://whowhatwhy.org/politics/government-integrity/bushs-cake-and-foia-red-tape-a-whimsical-look-at-a-serious-transparency-issue/) that resulted in an “estimated completion date of 15 years.” \n",
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}