NC Open Government

From the Reflector.com (3/18/09): OPENING RECORDS: Gov. Beverly Perdue and Attorney General Roy Cooper will seek legislation clarifying that information about patient deaths inside state mental hospitals are public records.

From the Shelby (N.C.) Star (3/18/09): Just as the idea of pursuing happiness helped define our country more than two centuries ago, the ongoing pursuit of openness represents an essential part of the American character: a government accountable to the governed.

The story goes like this. Edmund Burke, 17th century politico and philosopher, visited parliament after the birth of newspapers. When he saw lords and commoners debating, he looked up into the gallery and noticed the newly formed press corps. He turned to his friend and remarked, “Ah … it’s the Fourth Estate.”

From the Raleigh News and Observer (3/15/09): Gov. Beverly Perdue answered questions about open government.

From the Charlotte Observer (3/15/09): With the click of a mouse, you can see how much Alaska taxpayers spent for Gov. Sarah Palin to attend a conference. What Texas taxpayers paid for Gov. Rick Perry's lunch. Or the tab that Kansas taxpayers picked up at Sam's Club for Gov. Kathleen Sibelius.

From MyNC.com (3/13/09): As part of its strong and ongoing commitment to openness and transparency, the Town of Cary is joining the nation March 15-21 in celebrating Sunshine Week - a national initiative to promote the importance of open government and freedom of information.

From the Charlotte Observer (3/15/09): Anytime a door closes on a public meeting or a public record is locked out of reach in North Carolina, there should be a bulletproof reason.

From the Hendersonville Times-News (3/14/09): North Carolina is among the best states at posting public records on the Internet, but some information is often hard to find, infrequently updated or not entirely available, according to an analysis by The Associated Press released Sunday.

From the Charlotte Observer (3/14/09): The Alcoa power company sued Stanly County on Friday, saying government officials have dragged their feet in responding to public-records requests.

The North Carolina Open Government Coalition has designated Wednesday, March 18 as Sunshine Day across the state.