Issue: Transparency – Government Information

04/10/2012

Last night I gave a presentation on Missouri’s open records and meetings law to a group of elected officials. I opened with a quote from President James Madison, who on August 4, 1822, stated:

“A popular government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps, both.”

He was right. Transparency and citizen access to information about our government is critical to a functioning democracy.