Latest news with #SunshineWeek
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
On foam bunny heads and sunshine (week) greeting cards
Search for 'SUNSHINE WEEK GREETING CARD' and Google — with all of its exuberance for artificial intelligence smarty-pantsness — ignores you like an Aggies fan showing up at a Lobos watch party. AI might be the now and future — but not when it comes to celebrating the public's right to know. Your browser's search results offer images of sun faces with Mona Lisa smiles; hand-drawn sunflowers in bloom; and a list of suggested questions people ask, such as 'Are greeting cards still a thing?' So, if you're celebrating Sunshine Week, don't bother hitting the greeting cards aisle. None of the business operators on the Plaza are selling T-shirts of James Madison framed by chile pepper ristras. And if you walk into Michaels arts and crafts store, you'll spot large bunny heads made of pink foam and fake sunflowers perfect for occasional dusting. But large sun heads in yellow foam emblazoned with the slogan: 'SHINE A LIGHT ON THE FIRST AMENDMENT!' ... nowhere. Nada. Not even on the shelves filled with 14,986 foam shapes. The future of democracy may be in the public mind, but we're not even an art project. Regardless of your perception, I like to believe journalists are well-intended romantics who don't know how to quit. Instead of delving in darkness, we're trying to shine a light. Sunshine Week may not be worthy of greeting cards or your local arts and crafts store, but it has existed for 20 years to 'educate the public, journalists, lawmakers, and others on the right to know in the U.S. states and federal government,' according to The Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications has kept Sunshine Week top of mind for those who care about democracy's complexities, thanks to a John S. and James L. Knight Foundation endowment. The impetus for Sunshine Week began in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001. Florida editors, notably Tim Franklin of the Orlando Sentinel, noticed how government agencies were making public records less available or exempt from viewing. The first Sunshine Sunday happened March 16, 2002, honoring the birthdate of Bill of Rights author James Madison (sans ristras). From 'The goal was simple but impactful: raise awareness around the need for open government and our right to know.' Sunshine Week then launched in 2005. During those 20 years, the United States has lost more than a third of its printed newspapers, according to the 2024 State of Local News Report from Northwestern University. (Franklin now serves as a senior associate dean, professor and John M. Mutz Chair in Local News at Northwestern.) Here's another way to understand the consequences, especially if you're following what's happening in Washington, D.C. Research from Northwestern's Local News Initiative showed President Donald Trump dominated news deserts during the 2024 presidential election, winning 91% of the counties with no professional source of local news. What's happened nationally has also made New Mexico less enchanting for those who care about the public's right to know. Since 2005, the number of New Mexico journalists has decreased more than 60%. Five counties in New Mexico have no news outlets, Yet, even in this so-called blue state, lawmakers during the 2025 session proposed several bills that would have significantly gutted the state's Inspection of Public Records Act. No wonder Sunshine Week doesn't have a greeting card with a sunny face. All of us are shopping in the deep-sympathy section. Did I mention that journalists — and that goes for anyone who believes in democracy — are well-intended romantics who don't know how to quit? If anything, we need a moment. A John-Cusack-in-awesome-trenchcoat-with-raised-boombox moment that blares Peter Gabriel's 'In Your Eyes,' because the relationship we have with elected officials should be deeply attuned to the public's interests. Instead of a full-length love story, the public seems stuck in a reality show where those who ask questions get fired. It would be illuminating if Sunshine Week didn't need to be an annual reminder of the public transparency we've lost. Democracy should be less a battle about access and more of an everyday right to know. Locally owned news organizations can make a difference. The public's support is essential. Informed voters matter. I believe this because Santa Fe New Mexican subscribers are consistent in both praise and critiques about our accountability and investigative stories. For that, we thank you. You've been our sunshine.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NY transparency groups celebrate two 'Sunshine Week' wins
New York state transparency advocates scored a pair of victories in Albany in a week set aside each year to highlight the need for reforms to shine a light on the inner-workings of government. Reinvent Albany joined 18 other watchdog, transparency and journalism groups on Friday in celebrating the approval by the New York Assembly of two bills designed to strengthen the state's Freedom of Information Law. The bill passed by the assembly would require corporations to re-apply for their records to be exempted from FOIL after they are submitted to the state. The piece of legislation would change the current setup, which allows corporations to ask the state to have their records exempted from FOIL permanently. Reinvent Albany and the other groups support change, arguing that the public should have the right to see how much the state pays for services and whether investments of public money in private projects offer adequate returns for taxpayers. The second bill passed by the assembly would require government agencies to report on many FOIL requests they are receiving and closing. Good government advocates argue such a system is needed to enable the public to better understand the state of FOIL in NY and see which agencies are struggling to fill requests. Both bills were approved by the assembly this week, recognized nationwide as Sunshine Week, a collaborative campaign organized by journalists, news outlets, civic organizations and educational groups to highlight the importance of public records and open government. Both measures will require state senate approval and Gov. Kathy Hochul's approval before they can become law. 'Reinvent Albany thanks the New York State Assembly for leading on two bills strengthening the state's Freedom of Information Law. We urge the Senate to pass both of these bills quickly and help persuade the governor to sign them,' the non-profit group said in a press release issued on Friday. Two other FOIL bills still have not passed either house of the state legislature, yet remain on good government groups' list of priorities, including one that would reduce the amount of time agencies are allowed to respond to FOIL requests and another that would strengthen provisions for compensating attorneys that are involved in successful FOIL-related cases.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michigan's FOIA law exemptions one of many transparency challenges in the state
During Sunshine Week open government advocates focus on closing gaps in transparency. In Michigan, that means hearing the familiar refrain to expand the state's public records law, but that's not the only way the public is left in the dark. Here's a round-up: Michigan's public records law stands out as a national outlier for exempting the governor and state lawmakers from its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Other public bodies in Michigan must comply with FOIA, from local law enforcement agencies to big state departments. Journalists and other government watchdogs routinely use FOIA requests to obtain records to investigate potential wrongdoing. For years, transparency advocates have called on Michigan lawmakers to take action to expand FOIA. The Michigan Senate passed legislation in January to expand FOIA to the governor and state Legislature. House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, called it a "watered down" FOIA bill during a Jan. 30 press conference. "So we're not going to pass that bill," he said. Instead, Hall has pushed for his own transparency plan which proposes several measures such as barring politicians from working as lobbyists immediately after leaving office. But Hall's plan does not propose expanding Michigan's FOIA law. Michigan voters elect the justices for the Michigan Supreme Court. The Michigan Constitution requires justices to be chosen in a nonpartisan election. Before Michigan Supreme Court candidates land on the general election ballot, political parties nominate their picks at a convention. Michigan's political parties also nominate candidates for other offices at political conventions, including Secretary of State, Attorney General and university boards. But candidates to serve on the Michigan Supreme Court are the only ones chosen by loyal partisans whose names appear in the nonpartisan section of the ballot. That can leave voters unfamiliar with the convention selections without information about the party affiliation of Michigan Supreme Court candidates. Michigan's system for electing justices is unique. In some states, judges seeking election to higher courts run with party labels during their first bid but then seek additional terms in a yes/no retention election while some states have nonpartisan primary and general elections, according to William Raftery, Senior Analyst at the National Center for State Courts. Ohio recently shifted its process to require candidates to serve on the Ohio Supreme Court selected in a partisan primary to also appear on the general election ballot with their party label. The Michigan Supreme Court received considerable pushback to a proposal that would require local judges to disclose additional financial assets. While judges are required to release some financial information in annual reports, the details are sparse, coming far short of comparable disclosures from federal lawmakers or other elected officials. The proposed change as introduced to Michigan's Code of Judicial Conduct garnered opposition from several large groups, including the Michigan Judges Association and Michigan District Judges Association. Most of the criticism centered on privacy and safety, suggesting a requirement to disclose properties could imperil judges. National advocacy organization Fix the Court applauded the offered changes, saying thousands of federal officials and judges in more than two dozen states are already subject to comparable disclosure requirements. Almost every speaker opposed multiple components of the changes during a Wednesday hearing before the high court on the proposal. The court took no action, but could move to change the proposal again. Finding out which Michigan attorneys face allegations of misconduct and possible disciplinary action requires a bit of a lift. The Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission investigates potential wrongdoing in a confidential process meant to protect lawyers from frivolous accusations. But once the commission authorizes the Grievance Administrator to file a formal complaint against a lawyer with the Attorney Discipline Board, the complaint and the rest of the disciplinary process becomes public. Anyone can email or call the Attorney Discipline Board for the complaint and other public pleadings in the case, said the board's Deputy Director John Burgess in an email. Case documents aren't available on the board's website except for orders and notices of discipline and opinions. Asked how someone would know to reach out to the board to seek a complaint filed against an attorney that emerges from a confidential process, Burgess responded, "At this time, that is a question with no particularly great answer." He recommended reaching out to the Attorney Grievance Commission with a standing request to receive a notice of any complaint filed against a specific attorney, saying if the board provides notice of a complaint filed without first receiving a request it "could create the appearance of bias." Hearings in disciplinary proceedings are public, but there is no public calendar. Burgess said notices of any hearings can be requested. Michigan Politics: Michigan House approves Republican road funding package At their best, Michigan's 15 public universities are centers of enlightenment, though not necessarily transparency. They have fought and won in courts to shield from public view some of their actions. When the Free Press sued the University of Michigan, arguing all its board meetings should be public, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the school. "The Constitution permits defendant to hold informal meetings in private; defendant is only required to hold its formal meetings in public," the 2016 ruling said, noting that the schools have broad discretion to decide formal versus informal. The Michigan Supreme Court let the decision stand by declining to hear an appeal on it. "It's almost a joke," said Free Press legal counsel Herschel Fink, who litigated the case. "You could have a pro-forma meeting and basically take care of all the business in secret." The surest way to open the process would be to ask Michigan voters to approve a constitutional amendment requiring the meetings be public, Fink said. Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@ or 313-296-5743. Reach Dave Boucher at dboucher@ and on X @Dave_Boucher1. Contact John Wisely: jwisely@ On X: @jwisely This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan transparency challenges from FOIA and beyond
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Disregard for transparency': Utah Legislature's public records laws earn it a ‘Black Hole' award
The Capitol in Salt Lake City is pictured at dusk on the last night of the legislative session, Friday, March 7, 2025. (Photo by Alex Goodlett for Utah News Dispatch) The Utah Legislature won an award for the past few years of work, culminating in the 2025 General Session, although it's not something most lawmakers will likely be proud of. On Friday, the Society of Professional Journalists awarded the Utah Legislature its annual Black Hole award for passing a pair of laws that revamp the way public records requests are appealed in the state. The announcement comes at the end of Sunshine Week, set aside each year to highlight the importance of public records and open government. Given out each year by the Society of Professional Journalists, the nation's oldest journalism organization, the Black Hole Award highlights 'the most heinous violations of the public's right to know.' That includes governments repealing or curtailing open-records laws, or officials or agencies that go to 'egregious' lengths to hide information. The award's criteria states that Black Hole award should go toward a policy or action that impacts the public at large. It's kind of like winning a Razzie, the annual parody award given out to the worst movie of the year. The 2025 Razzie award went to Francis Ford Coppala's 'Megalopolis' — the 2025 Black Hole award went to the Utah Legislature. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The two bills in question are SB277, which eliminates the State Records Committee, replacing it with an attorney who will review appeals to records requests that have been denied — and HB69, which makes it difficult for people who challenge the government over public records denials to recoup their attorney fees. The bills have not yet been signed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox; however, on Thursday he said he intends to give them both a green light. 'I think it's best for the state, I think it's best for state government, I think it's best for the people,' Cox said during his monthly news conference with PBS Utah. The laws come on the heels of several other policies from the Legislature to curtail transparency that the Society of Professional Journalists said factored into the award. That includes a 2022 law that prevents the release of Garrity statements — compelled testimony from public employees used in an internal investigation, but not intended for criminal proceedings. And in 2023, the Legislature passed a law that makes the digital calendar of a public official a protected record, which coincided with attempts from KSL-TV investigators to request the schedule of former Attorney General Sean Reyes, who faced criticism over his friendship with embattled anti-trafficking activist Tim Ballard. 'These actions convey a clear disregard for transparency and pave the way for unchecked government actions,' said Jodi Rave Spotted Bear, who chairs the Society of Professional Journalists' Freedom of Information Committee. Notably, this is the second time the Utah Legislature has been saddled with the Black Hole Award. It received the inaugural award in 2011, along with then-Gov. Gary Herbert, for dismantling the state's Government Records Access and Management Act, or GRAMA. After loud public outcry, the bill was repealed in a special session. Sponsored by Sen. Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, SB277 will replace the State Records Committee — the body that decides which government records should be released to the public — with a paid, governor-appointed attorney. The bill was opposed by most Democrats and a handful of Republicans, passing the Senate with a 21-8 vote and the House with a 44-23 vote. Now, if a records request, and subsequent appeal, is denied, any further appeals would go before the director of the Utah Government Records Office, created under the bill. The director would serve a four-year term, and could be removed by the governor but only for cause, which means they would have to violate a stated policy. McKell, the Senate's majority assistant whip, said the bill will make the appeal process more efficient, eliminating the backlog of requests. Cox echoed that sentiment on Thursday. 'We have about a four- to six-month backlog, often, when it comes to these issues going before the board. What we're doing is we're putting in an administrative law judge, someone who understands the law and can rule very quickly on these issues. That's going to help all of you not have to wait for these decisions,' he told reporters on Thursday. 'We're always trying to make sure we have the right balance in government and I think these bills do that.' McKell also claimed the records committee sometimes makes decisions that go beyond their legal expertise. 'They are tasked with quasi-judicial decisions,' McKell said during the legislative session, 'not one is required to have a legal background or law degree.' Opposition to the bill spanned the political spectrum, with representatives from the Eagle Forum to Mormon Women for Ethical Government to the Utah League of Women Voters speaking against it. Critics worry that it could lead to less transparency, while consolidating too much power under the governor. 'Utah's seven-member State Records Committee, representing diverse experience and perspectives, was ideally suited to look out for the public interest in free information. Replacing that committee with a governor's appointee can only reduce accountability and undermine public confidence in government,' said Howard Goldberg, a retired Associated Press bureau chief, in a statement. Goldberg also sits on the SPJ's Freedom of Information Committee. Sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain, HB69 started out as a bill to protect voting information — it classifies records related to the return of ballots as protected, and prohibits a government official from accessing or using government records that are outside of that official's duties, including how someone voted. The bill initially sailed through the House and Senate with little controversy. However, on final passage in the Senate, it was amended to include a new provision related to attorney fees. By then, the bill had already passed both Senate and House committees, which is when the public is given a chance to comment on the bill. So, essentially, the amendment received little debate among lawmakers and no public comment. Now, if someone challenges the denial of public records in court, and wins, they can only recoup their attorney fees if they can prove the government acted in bad faith when the records were initially denied. That's a very high bar, critics warn, which will have a chilling effect on private citizens who seek to appeal the denial of a records request. Unless the records request comes from an organization or individual with deep pockets, it will be financially difficult for most people to take a government to court over a denial. 'Together with SB277, this makes it harder for individuals and organizations with limited resources to access withheld records,' the Society of Professional Journalists said in a news release Friday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Murphy's budget is bad for local news
Gov. Phil Murphy once said supporting local news strengthens our democracy, but his last budget proposal slashes state funding for it. (Dana DiFilippo | New Jersey Monitor) Nearly seven years ago, Gov. Phil Murphy took a bold step toward reviving, strengthening, and transforming local media and civic engagement. In August 2018, eight months into Murphy's first term, he signed a widely popular, bipartisan bill establishing the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium, an entity formed to provide financial aid to create and support trustworthy, community-based news. 'I believe the Consortium is a viable means to begin to combat the widespread proliferation of deliberately false or misleading information that threatens our democracy and contributed to getting President Trump elected,' Murphy said then. State funding for the consortium has risen from $500,000 to $3 million. Now, with nine months left until Murphy leaves office, his last budget plan proposes quite a different commitment to the consortium: zero dollars. His spending plan also includes a planned 75% cut in state subsidies to NJ PBS, which operates NJ Spotlight News. The state's current budget provides $1 million in funding to NJ PBS; Murphy's plan would slash that to $250,000. March 16-22, 2025, is Sunshine Week, a nonpartisan collaboration among groups in the journalism, civic, education, government and private sectors that shines a light on the importance of public records and open government. As I write this, transparency advocates nationwide are commemorating the 20th anniversary of Sunshine Week, an annual observance that highlights the importance of your right to know what your government is up to. For New Jersey citizens, the sunshine is slowly being blotted out by the Murphy administration, which also helped the Legislature take an ax to our public records law last year. Murphy's office declined to comment but noted the governor said when he presented his budget plan to lawmakers last month that it would include some belt-tightening. Even with Murphy's proposed cuts, the state would spend a billion or so dollars more than it takes in. 'And while, yes, every responsible budget, including this one, requires hard decisions — like scaling back programs that we would rather increase funding for — we can, and we must, make those decisions while also keeping our promises, whether it be making the full payment into our pension system or fully funding our public education system,' he said. I'll remember this when Murphy signs a budget in June that will undoubtedly be stuffed at the last minute with hundreds of millions of dollars for lawmakers' pet projects. If you're unfamiliar with the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium, take a look at its recent grant recipients, which range from hyperlocal news site Montclair Local to conservative think tank Garden State Initiative to the New Jersey Coalition to End Homelessness. Its purpose is not to funnel money to corporate media; it's legitimately interested in aiding news outlets, community groups, and other organizations that seek to broaden civic engagement. (Full disclosure: While the New Jersey Monitor has not received any funding from the consortium, I have applied for some. My thoughts on Murphy's plan to end state subsidies for it would be the same regardless.) Chris Daggett, the consortium's interim director, urged lawmakers this week to restore funding to the group (the Legislature has until June 30 to strike a budget that will get Murphy's signature). Daggett told me that with the tsunami of change coming from Washington, D.C., local news is more critical than ever if we want to bridge the nation's widening partisan divide. 'For me this is not about saving journalism, this is about democracy,' he said. 'When people aren't informed, they aren't engaged, and when they aren't engaged, democracy dies.' Mike Rispoli works for the nonprofit Free Press, founded in 2003 to support independent journalism and protect public media. Rispoli — who sits on the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium board but stressed he was not speaking on its behalf — said he understands that states are making very difficult budgetary decisions right now. But Rispoli said today's media landscape, where the Trump administration is going after media organizations it doesn't like and billionaire media moguls are putting editorial pressure on their newsrooms to protect themselves from the president's onslaught, demands more. 'If people care about our communities and what they need in this moment, being able to make sense out of a very chaotic world, this is the moment where we need to be investing more into independent journalism, not less,' he said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
