After receiving the city of Hudson's Proclamation that March 10-16 is Sunshine week, Tracey Mackay, LWV Hudson’s president, said that Sunshine Week is an opportunity for media organizations, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools, and citizens to engage in public discussion on the importance of open government. “Government functions best when it operates in the open and sunshine is the best disinfectant,” she continued, Democracy requires government transparency.”
Sunshine Week is a national initiative, spearheaded by the American Society of News Editors, educates the public about the importance of open government and the dangers of excessive and unnecessary secrecy.
To help ensure that transparency, LWV Hudson has an Observer Corps, which are trained volunteers who attend city and county public meetings to observe them for Sunshine Law compliance and promotion of best practices. The volunteers become knowledgeable of local government and its operation through consistent observation. These efforts serve as the foundation for League action in promoting good government and in our education and advocacy.
According to Maura McCaughey, Observer Corps Manager, observations have shown that Hudson’s local government goes above and beyond basic Sunshine requirements. Public Officials have adopted many best practices that enhance transparency, accountability, and civic engagement.
Since 1967, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has provided the American public with more transparency into government function. In Ohio, Sunshine Laws cover both the Open Meetings Act and the Public Records Act. The Ohio Attorney General’s website contains the Manual of Sunshine Laws and the required training for public officials. Each public body creates their own policies in compliance with the Ohio Revised Code for Sunshine Laws. The public may also take this training free of charge. This national initiative was launched in 2005 in the Akron area with funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. See: http://sunshineweek.org/
