Open government is good government

Each March, news media organizations across the country highlight the importance of transparency in government at all levels — from local special districts and school districts all the way to the governor’s office and the Oval Office.

Sunshine Week, as the observance is known, is timed to coincide with the March 16 birthday of James Madison, fourth president of the United States and a framer of the Bill of Rights and its guarantee of freedom of the press. Celebrating Sunshine Week around Madison’s birthday is meant to honor Madison for his stalwart protection of a free press as a watchdog over government.

To ensure transparency in government, Wyoming has Sunshine Laws requiring government transparency and accountability. Together, these laws guarantee the right of access to government information at public meetings and through public records, so that the public can witness the decision-making process, so the democratic process works properly.

Democracy depends on a knowledgeable citizenry whose access to a range of information enables them to hold their public officials accountable.

The role of the media in this process is to ensure that public business is conducted with openness and transparency.

But open government isn’t just for the media.

State open records and open meetings laws demand that state agencies, county bodies and local governments — and all of the commissions, committees and boards that derive their authority from them — do their work in the clear light of public accountability.

The laws do not say journalists must be allowed to access documents. They do not say that newspapers or radio stations need to be able to attend public meetings. They say these meetings must be open and public. The laws say official action is not official if it happens in darkened corners where the people can’t see their business being transacted.

The government’s business is your business. You deserve to know how your government operates, how your elected representatives vote and how your tax dollars are spent. You should also have easy access to these records and documents, in digital or paper format.

Although Sunshine Week is only one week, we should each demand open and transparent government at every level, every day.