Secrecy Obscures Public's Right to Know

The Raymonds relied on the state FOIA to get answers. They educated the community and held public officials accountable. The Raymonds' triumph spotlights the power of and the need for government sunshine laws. After 9/11, we saw the single greatest rollback of FOIA in history tucked into the ch...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Ledger (Lakeland)
Main Author SEN PATRICK LEAHY
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Lakeland, Fla Halifax Media Group 15.03.2005
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Summary:The Raymonds relied on the state FOIA to get answers. They educated the community and held public officials accountable. The Raymonds' triumph spotlights the power of and the need for government sunshine laws. After 9/11, we saw the single greatest rollback of FOIA in history tucked into the charter for the Department of Homeland Security. This provision created an opportunity for big polluters or other offenders to hide mistakes from public view just by stamping "critical infrastructure information" at the top of the page when they submit information to the department. The Constitution reflects the founders' confidence in open government. Our First Amendment protections and the public's right to know, backed by FOIA, are cornerstones of our democracy, guaranteeing a free flow of information that delivers on the promise of a government of, by and for the people.
ISSN:0163-0288