States of Denial: Government transparency spotty in the states, and worsening

States of Denial: Government transparency spotty in the states, and worsening

As the director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government — a 29-year-old nonpartisan, nonprofit devoted to helping the public navigate the ins and outs of access to state and local government records and meetings — I’m often asked which…

Government secrecy all the rage under Colorado's gold dome - Complete Colorado

SB 77 treats requests from 'mass media' to faster and better access than for citizens.

The Missouri Sunshine Law’s power is the people’s

The Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City, as pictured September 26, 2023 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).No Missouri law is more important to holding government accountable than the state’s Sunshine Law. As a newspaper editor, I had a deep appreciation of the impact of the law as a reporting tool. But the Sunshine Law exists for ordinary citizens, not just journalists. Every Missourian should value the power of this law, which protec…

Editorial: All Americans have right to government information: Here are a few resources

This graphic reads: “Sunshine Week; your right to know” Open government and the right to access public information isn’t just important to news media. Laws ensuring transparency affect all Americans. To be sure, gathering information is our job. We seek to keep you informed about what your elected officials are doing and the regulations and taxes that affect your daily lives and pocketbooks. But we are primarily a proxy for the public, providing…

Editorial: During Sunshine Week, join the chorus for government transparency

Government serves the public most effectively when it conducts its affairs in the open. The Founding Fathers crafted a governing system that puts power in the hands of the people; it is therefore only right that the people be able to attend meetings, review documents and otherwise assert oversight to ensure adherence to the public will. Advocating for government transparency shouldn’t be a partisan issue, nor should it be particularly controvers…

Noteworthy reports and resources

If you're super into detailed documents that governments and international bodies publish, maybe you already know about the Notable Government Documents lists selected by the American Library Association's Government Documents Round Table (GODORT). For example, 2017's list honored The Windbreak Cookbook Featuring Fruits of Prairie Forests by North Dakota State University, and 2011's list honored European Drug Prevention Quality Standards: A Manu…