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Kurt Johnson
The sun is shining a little brighter this week, though perhaps not outdoors in the up and down weather of March.
It’s Sunshine Week in America, a national initiative created by the American Society of News Editors to educate all of us about the importance of open government and how dangerous excessive and unnecessary secrecy from our leaders can be. It serves as a reminder that government agencies should be accessible and accountable to their constituents, inviting public input and participation at every opportunity.
Here at home in Hamilton County we typically trust our local leaders to conduct their business openly and honestly on our behalf, with complete transparency in mind. For the most part we believe that’s the case, though on occasion they face uncomfortable or controversial issues where, truth be told, some elected officials and administrators would prefer their conversations be conducted behind closed doors, where the public can’t listen in.
That’s somewhat understandable, especially for local residents who agreed to run for elected office as a way to serve their community, though perhaps not accustomed to finding themselves in the middle of a heated discussion where their vote matters. However, that’s when transparency matters the most. Citizens not only want and deserve to know the thinking and dialogue behind decisions made by county commissioners, city council members, school and village board members, it’s required by letter and spirit of the law.
Nebraska is known to have strong open meetings laws, echoing the sentiment of our founding fathers. Laws mandating open meetings and open records give all of us the right to delve deeply into the activities of elected officials at every level, and to draw our own conclusions about whether the people we vote into office are truly representing us.
Toward that end, the Nebraska Press Association launched a new website a year ago (www.nepublicnotices.com) providing greater public access and notification to the workings of all government entities and courts in Nebraska. It’s a useful tool that helps interested parties search for information from their own communities, or any across the state, by keyword, type of notice, as well as by date, county, city, school or village. That’s a convenient time-saver for anyone seeking out specific information.
Without open government, much of what you see in the News-Register simply wouldn’t be possible. Court proceedings, public hearings, board meeting agendas and minutes are all open to the public and as a routine this newspaper pays attention, publishing reports and detailed by-line stories on issues that matter.
Sunshine, in all its forms, not only brightens our spirits and nourishes our crops and gardens, it strengthens our democracy and trust in government.
KURT JOHNSON can be reached at kjohnson@ hamilton.net
