The right of constituents to access records that governmental bodies have collected as well as attend public meetings where vital issues are discussed remains an essential component in how we practice democracy.
A self-governing system demands that citizens have access to accurate information about what their governments are doing. We canât make good decisions about how to structure society if those granted authority to preside over these matters conduct the peopleâs business in secret.
Laws enacted in all jurisdictions require public officials to make certain records available upon request and hold their meetings in the open. Exceptions are made to protect sensitive interests, but these are meant to be invoked only when necessary.
Editorial — The light of scrutiny: Sunshine Week lauds efforts to ensure government transparency
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How good-government groups would handle COVID-19
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Sen. Schumer ‘glad’ House impeached Trump: ‘We all know who caused this’
Updated Jan 13, 2021;
Posted Jan 13, 2021
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Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said today he’s glad the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump.
In a meeting with local news publishers just minutes after the House vote Wednesday, Schumer spoke briefly about the Jan. 6 siege at the U.S. Capitol and the resulting impeachment of the president.
“We all know who caused this: Donald Trump,” Schumer said. “He encouraged them to come, he encouraged them to march on the capitol, he used violent words knowing that they were prone violently.And so I’m glad that about an hour ago, the House impeached Donald Trump. He shouldn’t be in office. And he shouldn’t be allowed to hold office in the future.”
In the Syracuse suburb of Manlius, police transparency carries a hefty price tag.
In June, the Manlius Police Department received an open-records request from MuckRock, a nonprofit news site. The request sought documents detailing any allegations of misconduct against current or former officers and any discipline the department imposed.
The department replied with a bill. For $47,504.
Six months ago, New York lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo repealed Section 50-a of the state Civil Rights Law, a once-obscure provision that had been used to shield police disciplinary records from public view for decades.
The repeal came amid national and statewide protests following the May 25 death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who died in police custody after an officer pressed a knee into his neck for nearly nine minutes.