Sunshine Week

In an recent informal, off-the-record conversation with a Southeast Missourian reporter, a low-profile government official was talking about how no one from the public attended board meetings.

He said that's how the government body liked it.

Local government can be odd that way. Generally speaking, those who become involved on boards and councils and commissions do so because they care about their community. More times than not these people have generous hearts and care compassionately about the towns in which they live.

Yet we often find these good people tend to shy away from controversy, which is understandable. But any part of public service includes public communication. It is impossible for a commissioner, councilman or board member to know what's best for a large, diverse group of people without hearing from individuals about their ideas and problems. Likewise, it is impossible for individuals to know if a board or commission is doing what's best for them if the government doesn't communicate with the public.

That's where the Sunshine Law comes in. This week is Sunshine Week across the nation. In Missouri, the open meetings-open records law is called the Sunshine Law. It's what protects the public from government secrecy. It requires government bodies in most cases to open to the public meetings and documents. The law is designed to prevent private deals and eliminate the wink-and-a-nod buddy system that occasionally pervades small-town politics.

The Southeast Missourian occasionally disagrees with local governments over open meeting requirements. Most governments comply, even if reluctantly so. Usually when smaller government bodies violate the Sunshine Law, it's because elected officials aren't familiar with it. This is why we think Sunshine Law training for public servants is a great idea. We also think it's important for the state to have the proper resources to enforce the Sunshine Law.

Missouri's open meetings law isn't for the news media. It's for everyone to have open access to their government. It reinforces a basic principle of our free society: that our government serves us, not the other way around.