Welcome, ACLU sunshine project

The Gazette

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The idea that government should conduct the people's business in public view is a linchpin of our democratic system.

Transparency keeps public officials more accountable, protects against corruption and helps make sure our public affairs are being handled efficiently and fairly.

So we are glad to see the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa's Open Government Project, intended to monitor government openness and help Iowans understand their rights to public information.

The project is a welcome addition to existing resources, such as the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, that help Iowans access their government and its public documents without spending undue time and money.

The ACLU project also can help keep the pressure on legislators to finally put together a state enforcement board to investigate when public entities are alleged to have violated Iowa's sunshine laws - and hold them accountable if they do.

Through the Iowa Open Government Project, attorneys will provide free legal help in a select number of cases in which people were unlawfully denied access to public meetings or records.

Project partners consult with public agencies and individuals to make sure they understand their rights and responsibilities under the law, and tracks open government issues in the state. You can access the project online from the Iowa chapter's home page: aclu-ia.org

Some people might think much of the ACLU project is redundant or unnecessary. After all, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller issues “Sunshine Advisory” Bulletins (available online at www.iowaattorneygeneral.org/sunshine_advisories/), to help Iowans understand their rights.

The Iowa Freedom of Information Council, a coalition of journalists, librarians, lawyers, teachers and others, publishes handbooks explaining Iowa's sunshine laws and conducts trainings about openness in government and First Amendment rights, and provides support for media members involved in related litigation (visit http://www.drakejournalism.com/newsite_ifoic/ for details).

But there is plenty of work to do in raising everyday citizens' awareness about open government rights, rules and issues of transparency.

And, exercising those rights to information still can be prohibitively costly for the average Iowan.

Unless legislators approve an enforcement board, Iowans' unresolved fights for information likely will continue to wind up in court.

By taking on even a few such cases, the ACLU can send a message to sunshine law violators and uphold the idea that citizens deserve to know what their government is up to. And hopefully, the Legislature will finally lend its support.

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