North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue issued a proclamation declaring the week of March 13 Sunshine Week across North Carolina. Sunshine Week celebrates transparency in government and calls attention to its importance in a democracy.
The week, started as a national initiative by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, raises awareness of the importance of citizen access to governmental records and proceedings.
Both Perdue and President Barack 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 citizens that their right of access to government meetings and records is safeguarded in the state’s constitution and instills trust and confidence among citizens in democracy.
The North Carolina 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 Thursday, March 17 at the Historic Salisbury Foundation train dept in Salisbury, N.C.
The schedule for the one-day conference will include:
- 11:30 a.m.: Welcome, lunch and keynote address (NCOGC President Rick Willis will provide the welcome, and University of North Carolina System President Tom Ross will deliver the keynote)
- 1 p.m.: Covering university trouble and contending with FERPA
- 2 p.m.: Access to local government records
- 3 p.m.: Using the new state personnel law
Registration costs $30 and includes lunch. To register to attend Sunshine Day, CLICK HERE.
“Sunshine Week is a national initiative to promote dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information,” said Brooke Barnett, the executive director of the Sunshine Center, the educational arm of the NCOGC housed at Elon University. “Our Sunshine Day events bring that national conversation to a state level with North Carolina focused panels and a keynote. The North Carolina Open Government Coalition is a broad based organization working to educate the public about open government and to help citizens with their open government questions and needs. Members of our coalition include news media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits and schools.”
Read the governor’s proclamation:
WHEREAS, the North Carolina Constitution safeguards every citizen’s right of access to government meetings and records; and
WHEREAS, the North Carolina Constitution further confirms that all political power is vested in and flows from the People to their government; and
WHEREAS, the best way to ensure that government truly represents the people it serves is to keep the government open and accessible to all people; and
WHEREAS, the hallmarks of a great democracy include government transparency and accountability; and
WHEREAS, public oversight is the ultimate safeguard of that democracy; and
WHEREAS, the free flow of information from the government to the people instills trust and confidence in our democracy and ensures that our government is accessible, accountable and open; and
WHEREAS, we must strive to further educate and empower the public on their right to access government documents, information and meetings;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BEVERLY EAVES PERDUE, Governor of the Great State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim March 13 – 19, 2011 as Sunshine Week throughout the State of North Carolina, and urge all citizens to join in this observance.