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Sunshine Week 2006 in Hawaii

Published: February 28, 2006
Last Updated: February 28, 2006

Sunshine Week got off to an early start in Hawaii, with a two-day forum, "The First Amendment in Crisis," held at the University of Hawaii's William S. Richardson School of Law. Speakers included Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Executive Director Lucy Dalglish and former New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis. The text of Lewis' remarks can be found online here. In addition to UH, event sponsors included the Hawaii Bar Association, the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Honolulu Advertiser and the Cades Foundation.

Invitation to the media from the state Office of Information Practices:

To: Members of the Media

Re: Media UIPA and Sunshine Law Workshop

Dear Sir/Madam:

As part of the upcoming Freedom of Information week, the Office of Information Practices would like to offer a "brown bag" workshop for the media on the Uniform Information Practices Act (Modified) (the "UIPA") and the Sunshine Law, Hawaii's open records and open meetings laws, respectively. The workshop will be on Monday, March 6, noon to 1:30 p.m. in senate conference room 212, State Capitol. We intend the format to encourage participation and questions as well as to provide the participants with a very basic understanding of the UIPA and the Sunshine Law.

If you are interested and would like to attend, please RSVP no later than Thursday, March 3 by telephone at (808) 586-1400 or via e-mail at OIP@Hawaii.gov. If, based upon the number of RSVPs, there is very little interest, we will likely reschedule the workshop.

Sincerely,

Leslie H. Kondo, Esq.
Director

Office of Information Practices
State of Hawaii
No. 1 Capitol District Building
250 S. Hotel St., Suite 107
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Tel.: 808-586-1400
Fax: 808-586-1412
E-mail: oip@hawaii.gov
Web site: www.hawaii.gov/oip

From the League of Women Voters, Hawaii:

The LWV Hawaii is one of 14 Leagues chosen to host forums during Sunshine Week 2006, March 12-18. Sunshine Week aims to stimulate public discussion about why open government is important to everyone and why it is under challenge today. Hawaii League received a grant of $1,000 for support of events coordinated by each county chapter. The League of Women Voters Education Fund received funding for this project from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of 26 U.S. communities.

Hawaii County:

March 15: The director of Hawaii's Office of Information Practices, Les Kondo, will participate in a panel discussion on the purpose and impact of sunshine and open records laws on local government. Other participants include: Lincoln Ashida, attorney for the County of Hawaii, and Pat Tummons, president of the Big Island Press Club. Moderator for the forum will be journalist Hunter Bishop. This event will be held 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the County Council Chambers in the Hawaii County Building. Participation via teleconference will also be available in Waimea and Kona. The location of the video facility in Waimea is 641067 Mamalahoa, Kamueala, off Kamaamalu Rd. across from the police station. In Kona, the facility is in the Kailua Trade Center, 75-5706 Hanama Pl. Suite 109. For more information contact Marianna Scheffer.

Honolulu:

March 14: The topic "Digital Democracy and Freedom of Information: Are Technology and Civil Rights Colliding or Converging?" by Mark Cooper, Ph.D., will be presented at the Imin Center Dining Room, Honolulu. The author of "Media Ownership and Democracy in the Digital Information Age," Cooper is also tentatively scheduled for various events on March 9 and March 10; times vary and are subject to change. Honolulu Media Council director, Sean McLaughlin is coordinating Cooper's visit. Call (808)748-0880 or sean@mediacouncil.org, or contact Jacqueline Parnell.

Kauai County:

March 18: The director of the Office of Information Practices, Les Kondo, will participate in a panel discussion on the purpose and impact of sunshine and open records laws on local government. Other panel participants include the editor of the Garden Island newspaper, Adam Harju. The event will be held Saturday, March 18, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Aloha Beach Resort, Alii Room. Coffee will be served. The forum is open to the public. For more information contact Carol Bain, 246-2111 or e-mail KLWV@kauai.net.

Maui County:

The events listed below at Maui Community College are part of the 3rd Annual First Amendment Freedom Forum. The forum features editors of alternative papers on Maui speaking directly to students and community about the importance of the First Amendment and sunshine laws in order to have a healthy and vibrant democracy. The Forum is a joint effort by Hawai'i Institute for Human Rights along with League of Women Voters and Society of Professional Journalists Maui Community. For more information contact Joshua Cooper.

March 13: "The Role of Alternative Media in Reporting the News" will be presented by Anthony Pignataro, editor, Maui Times Weekly at Maui Community College, 12 p.m., Hale 216.

March 15: "The Role of the Fourth Branch in Informing the Citizens" will be presented by Don Gronning, editor, Haleakala Times at Maui Community College, 12 p.m., Hale 216.

March 20: "Reflections on Media and Democracy" will be presented by Chris Conybeare at Maui Community College, 12 p.m., Hale 216.