The Governor of North Carolina, Bev Perdue, issued a proclamation declaring the week of March 15th Sunshine Week across North Carolina. Sunshine Week celebrates transparency in government and calls attention to its importance in our democracy.
The week, started as a national initiative by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, is hoped to raise awareness to the importance of citizen access.
Both Governor Perdue and President Obama in the first day of their respective offices issued executive orders related to transparency in government spending and contract awards.
The governor’s proclamation reminds all the citizen’s right of access to government meetings and records is safeguarded in the state’s constitution and instills trust and confidence among citizens in our democracy.
The N.C. Open Government Coalition, an organization dedicated to making citizens of North Carolina aware of their right of access under the law, will hold a workshop on current access issues in the state on Wednesday, March 18 at the Levine Museum of the New South. President of the group, Hugh Stevens, said, “At the very least, excessive government secrecy promotes estrangement between the people and their leaders and causes the public to lose confidence in the democratic process. At its worst it provides cover for corruption and malfeasance. We welcome Governor Perdue’s proclamation and look forward to working with her administration to make North Carolina “the Sunshine State” where open government is concerned.”
To register to attend Sunshine Day and to read the governor’s proclamation go to www.ncopengov.org.