Ohio government turning out the lights on information

From The Columbus Dispatch:

When Ohio lawmakers declared in 1963 that government records belong to the people, there was only one exception in the public-records law — medical records.

[…]

As the national Sunshine Week celebration of transparency begins today, Ohioans have above-average rights to public records and open meetings, according to national ratings, but access isn’t what it used to be.

Dennis Hetzel, executive director of the Ohio Newspaper Association and president of the Ohio Coalition for Open Government, works to beat back restrictions on public records. But even he believes government officials mean no harm.

The Ohio Coalition for Open Government is a member of NFOIC. –eds