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Elon hosts media representatives for Sunshine Law forum
Reporters, editors and executives from North Carolina mediaorganizations visited campus Thursday, March 15 for a discussion ofopen government laws and public access to government records andmeetings. Details...
The School of Communications hosted the seminar as part of educationalefforts by the Sunshine Center of the North Carolina Open GovernmentCoalition.
Participants heard the results of an audit by citizens around the statewho tried to obtain public documents, as well as results from a recentElon University Poll of five Southeastern states on public awarenessabout open government laws, commonly referred to as Sunshine Laws.
A panel discussion featuring Gretchen Lothrop, right, a Chatham County womanwho sued the local Board of Elections over an open government lawissue, also included Raleigh News & Observer reporter Leah Friedmanand University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor Cathy Packer.
Lothrop sued under North Carolina's Sunshine laws after she requestedBoard of Elections meeting minutes and was told they did not exist. Sheand other citizens voiced their concerns to the county's Board ofCommissioners, and were threatened with eviction from the board'spublic meetings.
"I was personally offended that they took the concerns of taxpayers so lightly," Lothrop said. A judge eventually sided with Lothrop in the case, but awarded only $3,500 to cover legal fees -- only 10 percent of legal costs incurred. Even so, she said she would do it again. "We have to pay attention locally, or we'll set ourselves up for disaster nationally."
Friedman, right, the News & Observer reporter, said Lothrop's suit has hadan impact on the way Chatham County conducts business. "I think (thecounty has) a long history of denying public records requests, but theyare becoming more open since this case," Friedman said.
In January, Elon and the North Carolina Open Government Coalition joined forces to promote the state's Sunshine Laws and freedom of information for media and citizens about the way government operates. Elon is the home of the Sunshine Center of the North Carolina Open Government Coalition, whose primaryrole is to further the vision of the coalition by becoming the state’sleading resource on citizen access to the workings of government andFirst Amendment issues.
Participants heard the results of an audit by citizens around the statewho tried to obtain public documents, as well as results from a recentElon University Poll of five Southeastern states on public awarenessabout open government laws, commonly referred to as Sunshine Laws.
A panel discussion featuring Gretchen Lothrop, right, a Chatham County womanwho sued the local Board of Elections over an open government lawissue, also included Raleigh News & Observer reporter Leah Friedmanand University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor Cathy Packer.Lothrop sued under North Carolina's Sunshine laws after she requestedBoard of Elections meeting minutes and was told they did not exist. Sheand other citizens voiced their concerns to the county's Board ofCommissioners, and were threatened with eviction from the board'spublic meetings.
"I was personally offended that they took the concerns of taxpayers so lightly," Lothrop said. A judge eventually sided with Lothrop in the case, but awarded only $3,500 to cover legal fees -- only 10 percent of legal costs incurred. Even so, she said she would do it again. "We have to pay attention locally, or we'll set ourselves up for disaster nationally."
Friedman, right, the News & Observer reporter, said Lothrop's suit has hadan impact on the way Chatham County conducts business. "I think (thecounty has) a long history of denying public records requests, but theyare becoming more open since this case," Friedman said. In January, Elon and the North Carolina Open Government Coalition joined forces to promote the state's Sunshine Laws and freedom of information for media and citizens about the way government operates. Elon is the home of the Sunshine Center of the North Carolina Open Government Coalition, whose primaryrole is to further the vision of the coalition by becoming the state’sleading resource on citizen access to the workings of government andFirst Amendment issues.