Sunshine Fest 2025

10:20-11:20 a.m.

Breakout Sessions

Artificial Intelligence
Room 256, 2^nd floor
Challenges and promises of technology, including more efficient searches, retrieval, and redaction. This panel highlights the work of the contributors for this year’s fifth annual Americans for Prosperity Foundation symposium. Streamed live and recorded, available on YouTube).

• Ryan Mulvey, Americans for Prosperity Foundation (moderator)
• Jason R. Baron, University of Maryland
• Alex Howard, Civic Texts
• Irvin McCullough, consultant, Government Accountability Project
• Nick Wittenberg, Armedia

FOIA and Politics
Room 222, 2^nd Floor
Nonprofit groups discuss their use of public records and the importance of government information in civic debate. Insights from advocates on all ends of the political spectrum.

• Lauren Harper, Freedom of the Press Foundation (moderator)
• Katie Anthony, American Oversight
• Allan Blutstein, Argus Insight
• Mike Howell, The Oversight Project
• Raul Pinto, American Immigration Council
• Anne Weismann, George Washington University

Vexatious Requests
Room 422, 4^th Floor
How to mitigate the harm of unduly burdensome requests without restricting the flow of information. Proactive disclosure? Copy fees? Bans? Fines? What works, what doesn’t, and what are the best ways to crack this nut?

• Shelley Kimball, Johns Hopkins University (moderator)
• Nathanael Byerly, Pennsylvania Office of Open Records
• Frank Curry, FOIA Buddy
• Jason Leopold, Bloomberg News
• Suzanne Piotrowski, Rutgers University
• Mary-Kate Smith, Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission

1:15-2:15 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

Trump, Populism, and the Backslide
Room 222, 2^nd Floor
A (nonpartisan) exploration of the rising tide of populism and increasing secrecy at all levels of government, and the ways we can rebuild interest in FOI among policymakers, the public, funders and civil society. While we can talk about the Trump administration, let’s acknowledge that secrecy has been increasing steadily no matter what president or party is in charge (the lowest FOIA compliance was recorded last year). Let’s look big picture to find solutions to reverse the transparency backslide in the states, U.S. government and throughout the world.

• Kelly Kauffman, MuckRock (moderator)
• Susan Harley, Public Citizen
• Nate Jones, The Washington Post
• Jason Leopold, Bloomberg News
• Greg Michener, Fundacao Getulio Vargas, Brazil
• Have invited the White House and DOGE – no response to date

Privacy and Transparency
Room 422, 4^th Floor
The right to be forgotten and other privacy positions are leading to increased exemptions, such as redacting home addresses and names of law enforcement to protect them from doxing. How do we balance privacy with transparency?

• Caroline Hendrie, Society of Professional Journalists (moderator)
• Frank LoMonte, CNN
• Jasmine McNealy, University of Florida
• Jeramie Scott, Electronic Privacy Information Center
• Richard Varn, Coalition for Sensible Public Records Access

Enforcement
Room 256, 2^nd Floor
What are the best independent enforcement models to make transparency laws work, within and outside the courts. Utah, Nevada and other states are exploring options. Let’s look at the most promising practices in the states and nations, especially after the demise this spring of Mexico’s heralded information commission. This session was recorded by a panelist (and attendees told). Audio recording available here.

• Margaret Kwoka, Ohio State University (moderator, see her Transparency Guardians piece on enforcement)
• Yaw Sarpong Boteng, Right to Information Commission, Ghana
• Mitch McKenney, Kent State University (see his relevant study on Ohio Court of Claims records dispute system)
• Colleen Murphy, Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission
• Liz Wagenseller, Pennsylvania Office of Open Records