Transparency in government is key to a healthy and strong democracy.

Transparent government is key to holding power accountable. In Rhode Island the Open Meetings Act, Access to Public Records Act, and Administrative Procedures Act form the foundation of open government. Common Cause continues to fight for improvements to those laws. We also use them to hold power accountable by filing complaints against public bodies when necessary.

After more than a half-decade of work, the General Assembly improved the Access to Public Records Act in 2012. A host of improvements were made to the law, including the addition of a “balancing test” to enhance access to personally identifiable records and requiring training and certification of government employees who handle requests for public records.

Those reforms are now a decade old and have not kept up with technology. That’s why we’re supporting additional reforms to the Access to Public Records Act that will bring it into the 21st century including the limited release of 911 tapes, accident data, and subpoenas received by government officials, among other changes.