Kirkland Patch is Celebrating Sunshine Week and the Public's Right to Know

Kirkland Patch is participating in Sunshine Week this week by promoting and celebrating open government and freedom of information.

We aim to engage our communities in conversation about the importance of the public’s right to know; to educate them about local and state freedom of information and so-called sunshine laws and the public records that are available, including how to get, use and decipher them; and to explain how and why journalists utilize these laws to further our core mission of covering and informing our communities well.

First, a little background on Sunshine Week, which was launched in 2005 by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. Sunshine Week is a national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include news media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools and others interested in the public's right to know.  

Sunshine Week, March 13-19, is funded primarily by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation of Miami, along with the ASNE Foundation. There are games, proclamations and more all brought to you by the Sunshine Week team, which we have shared with you.

In addition, the Washington Association of Public Records Officers, a nonprofit association founded to provide education and a forum to public disclosure practitioners on the requirements of the Washington State Public Records Act, recently announced the official launch of its website, www.wa-pro.org.

Here in Kirkland, the city has not made any proclamations, or otherwise made an official note of Sunshine Week.

However, the city is subject to the state Public Records  and the Open Public Meetings acts and, according to city spokesperson Marie Stake, it takes its responsibilities under both very seriously. 

This is reflected in Kirkland Municipal Code’s “City Council – Meetings” law, setting forth notice and openness requirements, and Resolution R-4669, which specifically adopts Public Records Act rules.  In addition, the Kirkland City Council enacted a “Limits on Campaign Contributions” law prior to there being any corresponding state law limiting campaign contributions by council members. 

Also, last year the city council appointed an Ethics Task Force to develop a code that would apply to the city council, city employees and the members of city boards and commissions.  The Task Force completed its work last fall and this matter will be taken up by the full council at an upcoming meeting. 

Join us at Kirkland Patch and spread a little sunshine around town. Here's an action plan to help you get started, which was developed by ASNE's Sunshine Week team. This is from SunshineWeek.org:

• Start with a Sunshine Week Open Government Proclamation 

In recognizing earlier Sunshine Weeks, many public officials around the country issued proclamations extolling openness in government. A few introduced significant open government legislation or signed executive orders. It’s time the pronouncements become actions and the few become the many.

This Sunshine Week, we urge citizens to press their public officials to do more, seeking not just broad statements of support for greater transparency but specific pledges and plans of action to enhance the public’s right to know.

Sunshine Week 2011 can be a time when you as a citizen or civic organization make a difference by identifying local or state open government shortcomings and then asking your public officials to pledge and initiate specific improvements in local or state law and practice.

To assist your efforts, the Sunshine Week team presents a sample Open Government Proclamation that you, or your group, can take to your public officials to seek a commitment on open government with specific action that will lead to increased sunshine.

Like all proclamations, it begins with a general statement of the benefits of open government at every level.

That is followed by a sampling of open government provisions that brought greater transparency to local and state governments around the country. We offer these as examples of the kind of specific action that may be needed in and appropriate for your community or state. We also hope these examples will inspire ideas for other openness measures that may be needed in your community or state.

We hope you and/or your organization will find these useful in considering what sunshine commitments are needed in your government and in crafting a specific proclamation and action pledge to present to your public officials.

Let the Sunshine Week team know if you are successful by contacting dmk@asne.org and writing "Sunshine Week Proclamation" in the subject line. If your government’s action was reported by the media, send along the link(s). We plan an “Honor Roll” on the Sunshine Week  website of government entities that adopt Sunshine Week open government pledges and/or take specific actions.

Here is the Sunshine Week Open Government Proclamation PDF and a link: http://www.sunshineweek.org/proclamation.aspx

• Play the You’re A Ray of Sunshine Game

The Sunshine Week team designed this game to challenge you, help you have some fun and learn about why open government and freedom of information in the U.S. is to be cherished and held to high standards. Play it here. https://game.sunshineweek.org/.

• Get Smart about the Public’s Right to Know

Read up. There are resources for teachers, including lesson plans so young people can participate. http://www.hsj.org/Services/index.cfm?menu_id=9
There’s  also a host of resources on open government assembled by the Sunshine Week team. http://www.sunshineweek.org/ReadingRoom.aspx
Read more about Sunshine Week at www.sunshineweek.org