Government functions best when it is transparent and allows citizens the most access to know how those whom they’ve elected to represent them are fulfilling that democratic duty.
Open records laws are a critical means of doing so. Guaranteeing that certain documents and correspondence are public records, with some understandable exceptions, offers a level of accountability that otherwise wouldn’t exist.
Last week’s opinion by the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, that emails sent from senators to the University of Nebraska constitute public records, represents a major victory for open government.
Furthermore, a key component of the effectiveness of open records laws is the timely receipt of documents requested. The sooner those emails are made public, the better for all parties involved.
Without question, NU finds itself between a rock and a hard place in this situation. Read more…