Opinion from Elko Daily Free Press:
The Nevada Legislature this session has an opportunity to make some welcome and substantial improvements to open government in this state, and there’s a good chance it will.
At the same time, I’m calling on two other important components of open government — the press and the public — to do their part to step up the quality of discourse on legislation and policy.
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From The Bellingham Herald:
Nearly fifty years ago a middle-school student and her friends set a major free speech case into motion by wearing a black armband to school to protest the Vietnam war.
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Read More… from Sunshine week celebrates Washington’s right to open public records
During the observance of National Sunshine Week in Missouri, allow us to highlight the value of openness in government.
Government is people. In his Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln characterized government as “of the people, by the people and for the people.”
And government funds are your tax dollars.
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Read More… from Sunshine Week celebrates ‘transparency’ in action
From Secrecy News from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy:
This week is Sunshine Week, an annual effort sponsored by journalism advocacy and civil society organizations to promote values of open government, freedom of information, and public participation. A rich variety of events are scheduled around the country, most of which are free and many of which will be webcast.
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Read More… from Sunshine Week events aim to promote open government
From The Washington Examiner:
SANTA FE — It may be Sunshine Week — a nationwide initiative focused on the importance of access to public documents and information — but New Mexico lawmakers are halfway toward adopting a resolution creating an exception for legislative emails.
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The House on Sunday voted 48-16 to pass House Concurrent Resolution 1, which proposes limits for releasing emails and other records.
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Read More… from New Mexico solons claim right to keep official emails private
From The Oklahoma Daily:
Oklahomans gathered to learn about the importance of open government and freedom of information at an annual conference Saturday to kick off Sunshine Week.
The public has a right to know what its government is doing, said Joey Senat, media law professor at Oklahoma State University and the master of ceremony for the conference. However, people must understand their rights in order to use them.
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From Plunderbund.com:
Yesterday kicked off Sunshine Week, a national event aimed at highlighting “the importance of open government and freedom of information.”
Ohio’s Republicans celebrated by trying to negotiate a compromise over how much information they will be hiding from the public related to the finances of JobsOhio.
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Read More… from Ohio Republicans negotiating over JobsOhio transparency, Happy Sunshine Week!
From Naples News:
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government, led by the Pentagon and CIA, censored files that the public requested last year under the Freedom of Information Act more often than at any time since President Barack Obama took office, according to a new analysis by The Associated Press. The government frequently cited national security as the reason.
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Read More… from Sunshine Week: U.S. citing security to censor more public records
When asked to name an event occurring in March, many would identify St. Patrick’s Day. Sports fans might default to March Madness. A small cadre of die-hards with a fanatical dedication to open government will answer Sunshine Week, which starts Sunday. All three answers are correct, even though it might not be immediately clear how they’re connected.
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