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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW North Medford grad takes film to two festivals ... Former Congressman won't be charged in pedestrian death ... Jackson County commissioner says state law does limit pot grows ... North Medford grad takes film to two festivals ... Former Congressman won't be charged in pedestrian death ... Jackson County commissioner says state law does limit pot grows ... OUR VIEW Our View: Shining a light on the workings of government Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 13, 2016 at 2:00 AM Posted Mar. 13, 2016 at 2:00 AM » Social News Today marks the start of Sunshine Week 2016, a joint project of the American Society of News Editors and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. The purpose is to focus on the importance of openness in government, from public records to public meetings. But don't assume that public records and open meetings laws are there just for the benefit of journalists. Sunshine laws do help us do our job of informing the public about what their government is doing — and that's vitally important. But open government laws are there for everyone. You don't have to be a journalist to file a public records request. Oregon law specifically says any individual may file a request. Oregon's public records law was adopted in 1973. At the time, it was considered one of the stronger laws in the country. Over the years, however, legislators have added more than 400 exemptions. Attempts have been made in the past to clean up the many statutes that govern public records and to limit the number of exemptions, but without success. Last fall, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum appointed a task force to examine all the exemptions and recommend changes to the Legislature. The task force is still meeting — it takes time to sift through and evaluate that many exemptions. The American system is based on the principle of self-government: the people elect representatives to enact and enforce laws, and to run government for the benefit of everyone. But if that government can operate in secret, making decisions behind closed doors, there is no guarantee the public interest is being served. That's why meetings of government bodies must be conducted in the open, and why records of government decisions and proceedings must be available to the public upon request. Laws that allow government agencies to withhold that information, or to take months to respond to requests, or to charge exorbitant fees to produce records damage the relationship between government and the public, and lead the people to mistrust their government. That's not healthy. Government works best when it works in the open, where the public can keep an eye on it. And that's why public records and meetings laws are so vital. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 13, 2016 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501