WHEREAS,  President James Madison, generally regarded as the father of our federal Constitution, wrote that "a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives"; and

WHEREAS,  every citizen in our participatory democracy has an inherent right of access to government meetings and public records; and

WHEREAS,  an open and accessible government is vital to establishing and maintaining the people's trust and confidence in their government and in the government's ability to effectively serve its citizens; and

WHEREAS,  we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the federal Freedom of Information Act this year and we recognize the Act's importance in shaping how people who believe in democracy think about the role of transparency in government and its influence in the adoption of our own Freedom of Access Act; and

WHEREAS,  the protection of every person's right of access to public records and government meetings is a high priority for the State of Maine; and

WHEREAS,  Sunshine Week was established to spark a discussion about the importance of open government and public access to government documents and meetings; now, therefore, be it