SUNSHINE WEEK 2025 CONTENT FOR PUBLICATION

The sun is setting on government transparency in Florida – and secrecy creep is affecting the rest of the US, too

Florida, the “Sunshine State,” once known as a beacon of government transparency, is growing ever darker, and the clouds are spreading throughout the United States.

From March 16-22, 2025, the nation celebrates the 20th anniversary of national Sunshine Week, which originated in Florida, historically home to the most transparent and accountable governments in the country.

Times have changed.

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About the Author: David Cuillier

Sunshine Week Calls Attention to Darkening Skies Over College Campuses

University employees engaged in sexual misconduct. Administrators misappropriating public funds. Scientists paid by industry groups to obtain desirable research outcomes. Wealthy donors influencing the admissions process.

Open records laws have helped journalists and watchdog groups uncover these types of wrongdoing at universities around the country—but those very laws are under threat.

Already, two states—Pennsylvania and Delaware—exempt some of their state universities from complying with open records laws. 

That’s right. Five years after the U.S. Office for Civil Rights found that Penn State—still reeling from the Sandusky sexual misconduct scandal—failed to protect students who filed sexual harassment complaints, the university retains its “state-related” designation that allows it to skirt the state’s Right to Know law. 

Increasingly, lawmakers and university administrators are attempting to carve out similar exceptions to their states’ open records laws or skirt the laws with creative interpretations of their provisions.

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About the Author: Amy Kristin Sanders

Amy Kristin Sanders is the John and Ann Curley Chair in First Amendment at Penn State as well as a licensed attorney and former journalist. 

Secrecy gives the government control. FOIA can restore the power imbalance

Excessive government secrecy takes many forms, including denying or ignoring FOIA requests and deleting data from websites. 

These tactics prevent the public from meaningfully participating in self-government in every area secrecy touches, from domestic policy discussions on climate change, to foreign policy debates around international aid. 

Sunshine Week, the annual celebration of the public’s right to know, reminds us that the federal Freedom of Information Act, which allows the public to request the release of government information, is our best tool to counter this excessive secrecy and hold officials accountable. 

But FOIA is in trouble, and we need congressional help to fix it. 

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About the Author: Lauren Harper

Lauren Harper is the first Daniel Ellsberg chair on government secrecy with Freedom of the Press Foundation. She can be reached at lauren@freedom.press.

States of Denial: Government transparency spotty in the states, and worsening

As the director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government – a 29-year-old nonpartisan, nonprofit devoted to helping the public navigate the ins and outs of access to state and local government records and meetings – I’m often asked which state has the best open records or open meetings law.

It’s a fool’s gambit to give a conclusive answer.

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About the Author: Megan Rhyne

Megan Rhyne has been the executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government since 2008 and worked with the organization for 10 years prior to that. She is also the part-time administrator for the National Freedom of Information Coalition. She can be reached at mrhyne@nfoic.org. 

Public records revealed the truth about how my son was shot to death by police

Across the nation, local governments sometimes disseminate false narratives in cases of officer-involved shootings. Local officials can craft messages that favor police because the community rarely has access to the information that would contradict that message. 

If the goal is to conduct an impartial and thorough investigation, public access to information is crucial.  

On Jan. 20, 2018, the unthinkable became a reality. My oldest son John was home alone and posted distressing messages about suicide on social media. His friends were worried and called 911. Overland Park Kansas Police Officer Clayton Jenison responded to a welfare check at our home. Jenison unholstered his weapon as he watched the garage door slowly open. John pulled the minivan out in a straight line at 2.5 mph.

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About the Author: Sheila Albers

Sheila Albers is a mother, educator, and mental health advocate who has dedicated her life to fighting for transparency and justice following the tragic loss of her son in a Kansas police shooting. With a focus on accountability, she has uncovered hidden truths and driven policy changes in local government and law enforcement. Albers can be reached at sheila@albershcs.org