Here are seven things to know from our investigation:
1. Our findings: Read our investigation here. We found nearly 30% of government agencies across our nine-county region were found out of compliance with Ohio public records and open meetings act laws in state audits in recent years.
2. Zooming in: Some local governments have been found out of compliance with these laws year after year with no real consequences for public officials failing to comply with the law.
3. Zooming out: Statewide, of 7,677 audits released since 2022, there were 2,374 found non-compliant with Sunshine Law requirements. That means nearly one-third of Ohio governments fail to meet state standards for complying with those laws.
4. Sunshine Week: The week of March 11 was Sunshine Week, when this news organizations and others across the nation raise awareness of Sunshine Laws. Sunshine Laws are protections for citizens to ensure government agencies are transparent about what is going on inside their offices. Journalists use the laws to request documents, track agency decisions and report stories.
5. Why it matters: In December I listed 11 Dayton Daily News investigations that had an impact on 2023 — every single one of those reporting projects relied on Ohio public records laws. We rely on it for our Payroll Project database of public employee pay, to track COVID relief spending, and nearly every major investigation we do.
6. Marsy’s Law debate: The Dayton Daily News in January reported how police departments in Kettering and elsewhere are using a recently enacted law to shield from the public information surrounding police shootings, including any records identifying an officer who shoots a suspect. Go here for the full story from reporter Lynn Hulsey.
7. For your records: You can learn more about Ohio Sunshine Laws with the Sunshine Manual released by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. The state put out an updated manual this month. You can also go here to search Auditor of State data to see if local governments in your area are in compliance with Ohio public records law.
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