But these are not usual times.
Today, open government laws are truly about life-and-death matters. We continue to fight the deadly coronavirus pandemic, struggle to come to grips with policing practices that discriminate against people of color and debate the election process that is so key to the survival of a democratic society.
This week is the 16th anniversary of Sunshine Week, established in 2005 by the American Society of News Editors, now called the News Leaders Association. Simply stated, it’s your right to know.
Across the country, citizens and journalists are using open government laws at the local, state and federal levels to request data on nursing home deaths from COVID-19, release investigations of police shootings, and provide information on federally funded small business loans. These are needed efforts to shed light on actions of public bodies.