Among the policy changes in the 2023 state budget is a small mention of public records that has escaped notice by nearly everyone, except journalists. In section 27.9, a small paragraph from bill writers empowers records “custodians” at the NC General Assembly to determine what qualifies as a “public record” and what does not. That...
Sunshine Week is designed to heighten awareness about the importance of open government and freedom of information and advocate for change where change is needed.
After Gov. Roy Cooper ordered restaurants and bars closed starting March 16 due to the coronavirus, unemployment benefit claims in North Carolina skyrocketed. More than 1 million North Carolina workers have filed claims for unemployment insurance as of May 3, the Division of Employment Security reports. The state’s civilian labor force is roughly 5 million....
It’s an interesting time for news reporters in North Carolina and across the country. Newspapers, for example, are closing and consolidating. The consistency and frequency in which this is happening isn’t alarming, really. It’s been going on for a while. It does, however, portend a certain future, which is by no means rosy. More papers...
Open government doesn’t require that every conversation among government officials or interaction between a government and its citizens be publicly accessible.
There are few more important priorities in public policy than ensuring open, honest, and accountable government.
If lawmakers in Raleigh were to pay due diligence to open government, they might well transform rampant cynicism into a healthy skepticism.
Public hospitals want to maximize the benefits of government ownership and minimize its costs. That may be rational from their perspective, but it would be irrational to comply.
Advocates of changes to North Carolina's open-meetings and public-records laws say they are just seeking a reasonable balance between openness and other values. But the current laws already strike a balance.
