Sunshine Week spreading light on information residents might not otherwise know - WDAF FOX4 Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Across the country during the week of March 13-19, some Americans are paying a little extra attention to their legal rights when it comes to requesting and receiving information from their leaders.
Sunshine Week is intended to bring attention to Sunshine Laws, named for process by which they bring light to information that might otherwise be kept in the dark and never be made public.
“It’s a tool for folks who know about it and it’s an opportunity for people who don’t,” said Missouri Sunshine Coalition Executive Director Dennis Ellsworth.
It means meetings should be open to the public unless there’s a specific reason to keep them private and citizens can get document showing how decisions are made in their communities.
Jason Maki’s more than three-year battle around Sunshine Laws started when he wanted to get more information about a development in Parkville near his home.
“From there, I began to uncover more information that led to more questions, and one question led to another, and I continued to leverage the Sunshine Law to inform myself,” said Maki.
He says his concerns about the development itself, but rather the incentives used the make the project happen.
After the city charged him large sums for the records or delayed handing them over at all, Maki filed a lawsuit and eventually settled with the city for nearly $200,000.
“I think it helped provide an example to most of the County I live in that the Sunshine Laws need to be taken seriously and that individual citizens can hold government accountable,” said Maki. “One person can do this if they choose to take the time and do it.”
But a drawn-out battle and court case isn’t something most citizens are willing to go through. That’s why Ellsworth says more people need to know about what they’re entitled to and how easy it should be get that information.
“The law is set up not to require a heavy financial burden on the person making the request,” said Ellsworth. “You don’t even have to use a formal request form to accomplish asking for a record or for a meeting to be open.”
Even private addresses can be subject to Sunshine Laws. Ellsworth said many times private information like that should be kept private.
“But there are other circumstances where we say, ‘Now, wait a minute. We need to know, if this person wants to run for public office, if they reside in the district,” Ellsworth said.
You can share your experience with Sunshine Laws on social media using the hashtag #MOSunshine. You can also nominate Sunshine Heros, people who have distinguished themselves through their use of Sunshine Laws, by contacting Ellsworth at [email protected].
You can find information about Sunshine Laws in Missouri here.
You can find information about Sunshine Laws in Kansas here.
Sunshine Week bringing awareness to open records lawSunshine Week is intended to bring attention to Sunshine Laws, named for process by which they bring light to information that might otherwise be kept in the dark and never be made public.
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