Those in government who manage and preserve public records are charged with great responsibility: what they choose to preserve or destroy can dictate how history remembers the promises and actions of a government.
Continue readingHow New York City is beating the feds to 21st century transparency
How the New York City Council and an annual conference dedicated to the democracy-saving power of the internet are poised to beat the federal government into the 21st century.
Continue readingHow proactive release of public records could help lower costs
Can releasing information before people ask for it help lower the costs associated with public records? Initial estimates are starting to provide answers.
Continue readingAddressing costs: turning public records into open data
Open data policies need to allocate appropriate funding for transitioning records systems from a paper era to a digital era.
Continue readingIt’s time to improve access to influence data in California
Sometimes, hurdles along the path to transparency can come down to one thing: a lack of funding. That's why we've signed on to a letter asking California to allocate funding that would help improve access to influence data.
Continue readingAddressing liability: balancing records management and open data
It's time to revisit how long we keep public records and why.
Continue readingWatching out for the future of California’s public records
A vote next month in California could impact the future of public records, open meetings, and even open data across all levels of government there.
Continue readingHow good records management helps open data
Since public records are the foundation for open data, the custodians of public records should be included in the open data process.
Continue readingWhy the DATA Act will be good for local transparency, too
Sunlight has long been a supporter of the DATA Act, which will help open federal spending data. The DATA Act could help improve local financial transparency, too.
Continue readingAsking for top-level changes to help boost local financial transparency
There's a clear path forward for opening up data about local finances, and we've written a letter in support of taking steps in that direction.
Continue reading