Sunshine Law vital to dispelling darkness

Missouri was a pacesetter in such thinking in 1973; it was one of the earliest states to adopt a sunshine law in an effort to open all levels of government meetings and records to the public.”

Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle.

The words of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin ring especially true this week as Missouri celebrates Sunshine Week.

From today through Saturday, we celebrate government transparency because we can only truly be informed about how, or if, our government is working for us is by seeing how decisions are made.

Sunshine Week, which is a nonpartisan collaboration among groups in the journalism, civic, education, government and private sectors, shines a light on the importance of public records and open government.

Missouri was a pacesetter in such thinking in 1973; it was one of the earliest states to adopt a sunshine law in an effort to open all levels of government meetings and records to the public.

The law makes available meetings, records, votes, actions and deliberations of public entities, unless the meetings or actions are closed for reasons specified by statute.

In recent years, repeated efforts have been made to weaken the Sunshine Law by limiting the amount of information it makes available through public record requests.

It’s happening again this year.

One bill would close records regarding people who make reservations in state parks. The sponsor’s reasoning for the change is that a potential burglar might access the state parks reservation list and then target the home of a camper who had reserved a space in a state park — a situation that the sponsor acknowledges has never happened.

Another bill would protect the identities of farmers and agricultural companies who use a lot of water. Given the state’s recent struggles with drought, the public has a right to know about who the major water users are in any industry, especially if it might impact the availability of water from a shared water source.

The intent of the Sunshine Law is simple: the government’s business should be conducted in the light of day for all citizens to see. That business includes the interactions of staff and officials, as well as between the public and the government. In other words, it’s in the best interest of the public to know how and why decisions are made.

And while the requests allowed by the current Sunshine Law may seem too vague or intrusive to some, it is a valuable tool that ensures the public has a clear understanding of how its government is working.

When considering changes to the Sunshine Law, we encourage legislators to always err on the side of transparency.

Dennis Ellsworth, a former executive director of the Missouri Sunshine Coalition and a former newspaper editor, explains why the law is vital for our future.

“The important understanding is the Sunshine Law works for everyone — young or old, those of all races and incomes, whether your allegiances are with Republicans, Democrats or another political movement,” he said. “We all have a stake in seeing to it that the Sunshine Law is preserved, strengthened as necessary, and broadly embraced by the public.”

Let light in, and it will dispel the darkness.

This editorial was originally published March 16, by the Jefferson City News Tribune and  reposted here with permission. Find the original editorial online at https://www.newstribune.com/news/2025/mar/16/our-opinion-sunshine-law-vital-to-dispelling/.