That’s the simple message of Sunshine Week, a March celebration of people’s right to an open government. The rules involved, however, are anything but simple.
In Massachusetts, transparency – or lack thereof – is dictated largely by the laws and regulations created by the state Legislature. The Associated Press, in recognition of Sunshine Week, which it helped create, compiles a list of legislation affecting the flow of public information across the country. This year, more than a dozen bills were included from Massachusetts.
Some promote greater access to information, like one bill to expand access to criminal records held by police departments at private colleges and universities. Others make it more difficult, including a bill to shield information related to internal reviews of police and firefighters.
Here’s a full breakdown of the legislation under consideration, and explanations from the supporting lawmakers:
Bill: S.1838 https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S1838 Link: https://www.telegram.com/news/20190316/sunshine-week-legislation-under-review-on-beacon-hill