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Bright Ideas: Community Free Press

Published: April 02, 2008
Last Updated: April 02, 2008

The Community Free Press in Springfield, Mo., conducted a Sunshine Week information audit of the Sunshine Week Law policy in 13 public bodies of two local counties. The state's Sunshine Law requires public offices to provide a written policy consistent with the law, and one that is available to the public, the paper reported. In addition, each request for a public record must be acted upon within three days. While several public bodies made the deadline easily, others took longer and three said they didn't even have a Sunshine Law policy on file.

The week's Local Voice column asked residents whether they thought local officials understood and followed the state's Sunshine Law. Answers ranged from a former city council member who said he believed public officials "feel that citizens are looking over their shoulder under the Sunshine Laws," to a restaurant employee who said the laws are not being followed because "government does what they want and to hell with everybody else."

Further adding to the coverage, the Community Free Press incorporated its logo in one of the Sunshine Campaign ads designed for such use.