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Thursday, March 20, 2008

Editorial: Public Deserves Access to Records

By

    A free press and access to government records are essential in a democracy.
    This week is Sunshine Week, not because it is spring, but because there is still a constant struggle to get government leaders nationwide to open their books to illuminate how decisions are made.
    Sunshine Week was started in 2002 by the American Society of Newspaper Editors and funded through a grant by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation of Miami.
    So why should a community newspaper such as the Telegraph concern itself with an issue that is national in scope? The answer is easy. When it comes down to brass tacks, open access to government at the lowest levels is even more important to our daily lives here.
    Let's use this issue of the Telegraph as an example. On our front page are the following stories: the Mountainair council was debating the continued employment of its police chief, Edgewood's new mayor is meeting with opponents to the Campbell Ranch development and a man was arrested on suspicion of trying to bring drugs into the Torrance County Detention Facility. All three stories are important to their respective communities and all three rely on access to public records.
    When reporters go to a council meeting, ask to see arrest records or inspect the minutes for an animal shelter meeting, they are serving as the eyes and ears of the public. It's a responsibility not to be taken lightly, especially if those records are closed to the public.
    On a state level, our government has a long history of keeping secrets from its residents. One example is the Legislature's refusal to open access to conference committee proceedings. A conference committee is the final arbiters of the language a bill will have before being sent to the governor to sign. Sometimes similar bills are passed by the House and Senate, and a conference committee will meet to determine what part of competing bills make it to the final version. These meetings are closed to the public and the press, so lawmakers can hammer out compromises on language.
    However, with the influence of lobbyists and other special interests, there is no telling how or why a compromise is made.
    Open government covers a wide range of topics and Attorney General Gary King, who is from Moriarty, is strong advocate of sunshine laws.
    In a recent example, King said he will push for changes to the state Inspection of Public Records to make clear that requests for records can be made through e-mail.
    New Mexico used to be known as the Sunshine State, but it has a long way to go before the sun truly shines on all that our government does.