The goal of Sunshine Week — March 16-22 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. Here’s a look at how NEFAC is celebrating the occasion and defending your right to know about government.
COMMENTARY
Here is a sampling of where our Sunshine Week commentary appeared:
• Mass. Lawmakers Don’t Have to Follow the Public Records Law. Few of Them Say That Should Change.
• Maine Has Spent Millions to Digitize Court Records — and They’re Still Mostly Not Online
• Insular Legislature Reinforces Vital Role of Sunshine Week
ADVOCACY
• NEFAC, Mass. Partners Endorse Boston City Council ‘Sunshine Week’ Resolution
PROGRAMS AND PRESENTATIONS
Keeping the Light On: Holding Government Accountable
Free, Public Event on Government Transparency and the First Amendment
March 10 | 5:30 p.m. | NH Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College in Manchester
• Annmarie Timmins (moderator) | NEFAC Advisor and Reporter at NH Public Radio
• Gilles Bissonnette | NEFAC Advisor and Legal Director at the ACLU of New Hampshire
• Emily Gray Rice | City Solicitor for the City of Manchester, NH
• Gregory V. Sullivan | NEFAC President, Loeb School Board Member and Attorney at Malloy & Sullivan
Your Right to Record
When do you have the right to record video or take photographs of government officials and records? During these lessons, we’ll address the following:
• Recording open meetings.
• Recording and taking photos of public buildings.
• When, if ever, public officials have a right to privacy.
• Recording and taking photos during court proceedings.
• Taking photos of public records, including court documents.
View Previous Classes: Maine | New Hampshire
Register for Upcoming Classes: Connecticut | Massachusetts | Rhode Island | Vermont
The Right to Know: Examining State FOI Laws
March 29 | Time TBD | Portland Regency Hotel and Spa
NEFAC will lead a panel discussion at the annual New England Newspaper & Press Association annual convention in Portland, Maine. Learn more and register here.
Sunshine Fest
March 19-20 | Washington D.C.
NEFAC will be at Sunshine Fest this month to celebrate government transparency. The program — coordinated by the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communication — will bring together journalists, record custodians, policy makers, historians, state FOI coalitions, librarians, academics, civil society nonprofit groups, commercial data providers, and all other constituencies who care about transparency at the local, state, federal and global levels of government. Join us!