Sunshine Week 2022
The goal of Sunshine Week — March 13-19 this year with related events occurring throughout the month — is to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include news media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools and others interested in the public’s right to know.
Commentary
If you are looking for an expert speaker to discuss government transparency or a source for news commentary, please contact NEFAC Executive Director Justin Silverman at justin@nefac.org. Here is a sampling of where our commentary appeared during Sunshine Week:
• More Reminders of the Shortcomings of Maine’s Freedom of Access Law | Bangor Daily News
• NEFAC’s Justin Silverman Discusses Open Government (audio) | WBSM-New Bedford
• When Government Controls All Information, Citizens Aren’t Free | Keene Sentinel
• Shedding Light, Promoting Truth are Right in Our Wheelhouse | Newtown Bee
• Let the Sun Shine in On Open Government and Freedom of Information | Daily Item
• Groups Call for Making Online Meeting Access Permanent | State House News Service
• New Hampshire Released a Statewide List of Problem Police Officers. No Such List Exists in Massachusetts | Telegram & Gazette
• Massachusetts Questioned on Listing Problem Police Officers | Associated Press
Op/Ed
NEFAC Executive Director Justin Silverman wrote an op/ed about how government transparency can be a unifying principle at a time of increased polarization in the country. The op/ed is available to all news outlets for publication:
Download Op/Ed
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Below is where the op/ed appeared:
Eagle-Tribune | Newport This Week | MassLive | Booth Bay Register | Caledonian Record | Greenfield Recorder | Newport Daily News | Daily Hampshire Gazette | Portland Press Herald | Valley Independent Sentinel | East Bay RI | Provincetown Banner | Gloucester Times | Wyoming Tribune Eagle | The Salem News | Wakefield Daily Item | The Chronicle | The Daily News of Newburyport | Wiscasset Newspaper | The Day | Business NH Magazine | The Berkshire Eagle | Concord Monitor | News and Citizen | The New Bedford Light| The Deerfield Valley News | The Other Paper | Shelburne News | Milton Times | The Valley Breeze
Programs
Keeping the Light On and Holding Government Accountable in New Hampshire
March 14 | 6:30 p.m. ET
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides for the “right of the people to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” But what does that mean and how does it work?
Featured Speakers
CASEY McDERMOTT (moderator) | New Hampshire Public Radio
GILLES BISSONNETTE | ACLU of New Hampshire
HON. N. WILLIAM DELKER | N.H. Superior Court Justice
EMILY GRAY RICE | City of Manchester City Solicitor
GREGORY V. SULLIVAN | Malloy & Sullivan and Board Member of Loeb School and NEFAC
New Hampshire Public Record Appeals: Learn How to Fight Back When Your Records Request is Denied
March 16 | 6 p.m. ET
Featuring Gregory V. Sullivan who serves as general counsel for the Union Leader Corporation. Sullivan also teaches First Amendment Media Law at Suffolk University Law School in Boston and at the Nackey Loeb School in Manchester.
Recommended Viewing Prior to Program: (1) Introduction to New Hampshire Public Records Law (2) 3 Requests 3 Stories
What’s the Future of Online
Public Meetings in Rhode Island?
March 23 | 7 p.m. ET
When the pandemic began two years ago, our government moved online. Since then we have seen the good and the bad of online public meetings. Join us for a discussion about what the future holds for online public meetings in Rhode Island. We will hear from advocates and practitioners about the pros and cons of government by Zoom.
Featured Speakers
JUSTIN SILVERMAN (moderator) | NEFAC
JOHN MARION | Common Cause Rhode Island
SCOTT PICKERING | East Bay Newspapers
LIZ TANNER | Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation
JORDAN DAY | Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns