It's your government

Newspapers across the state are making a special effort this week to inform their readers about the Missouri Sunshine Law. This special effort is being coordinated by the Missouri Press Association. Newspapers are writing stories and editorials about the law in an effort to make the public aware of what the Sunshine Law does for them.

Too many newspaper reporters and editors and too many public officials think the Sunshine Law is for them. While it is true that the Sunshine Law affects how newspapers report the news and how public officials conduct meetings and provide access to records, the law is meant to protect the public's right to know what government is doing.

The Sunshine Law's aim is to keep government meetings and records open to the public.

The "sunshine" in the Sunshine Law comes from the light that is shed on government under a law that upholds the public's access to information about government.

(There is a federal sunshine law too. It is called the Freedom of Information Act, and its intent is the same as the Missouri Sunshine Law: access to government information.)

Most states have a special law that protects the right of people to know what government officials are doing, the decisions they are making and the records they are keeping. But every state approaches this matter differently. Some states have a strict law that provides the most public access. Other states have minimal laws that are only somewhat effective in opening up government to the light of public inquiry.

Missouri's law is better than most, but it needs a couple of things: more enforcement by officials like the attorney general and county prosecutors who are charged with making sure Missouri's laws are adhered to, and more education for public officials who serve on local advisory boards all the way up to the governor's office.

Countless public servants in our state -- often in volunteer positions -- run afoul of the Sunshine Law not because they suddenly decide to stop being law-abiding citizens, but because they either don't know what the law requires or have been given bad advice.

There are many groups -- the attorney general's office, the Missouri Bar Association, press associations and the like -- that provide useful information about the Sunshine Law. But there are many more groups -- mostly associations that represent public officials -- whose advice on open government is geared to keep meetings or records closed.

That's why every session of the Missouri Legislature sees the introduction of bills to change the Sunshine Law. Well-intentioned efforts to add sunshine are frequently met by strong opposition from public officials who don't want more public scrutiny or access.

Penalties for violating Missouri's law have historically been minimal. As a result, many public officials are willing to risk violating the law, knowing that enforcement and fines won't matter much.

A good investment of resources to educate public officials about the Sunshine Law would produce many benefits. Among them would be better-informed public officials and less need for legal tussles when violations occur.