Ignorance of Ohio sunshine laws is never an excuse | News, Sports, Jobs

On Oct. 20, Erin Bishop, health commissioner for the city of Youngstown health district, attended a three-hour online Ohio Sunshine law training session, as required by law.

The same day, Kevin Kern, chief financial officer of the Western Reserve Port Authority, did the same; as did Jose Morales, who works in the internal affairs division of Youngstown Police Department.

A similar online training Sept. 15 saw attendance by Donald Hutchison, Cardinal Joint Fire District fire chief and his administrative assistant, Sherri LaRosa; along with Julie Thompson, representing the Mahoning County public health district.

Each of these public officials was fulfilling his or her public duty to become educated on the sunshine laws dealing with both public records and open meetings that they are required to know and follow when doing the public’s business.

Attendance records for each training session offered by the state Attorney General are posted on the Ohio AG’s website, as per Ohio law.

The training sessions are free of charge, available to public officials or their appropriate designees and public employees, as well as members of the general public who would like to become more literate about these laws.

The list of available training sessions posted on the attorney general’s web site goes on and on, but on a quick glance, the names of local officials who have participated this year, appear sparse. Especially sparse were the names of members of elected bodies like city councils or trustees.

We are hopeful that’s just because most public officials attend as soon as they are elected or when they take office.

By law, these officials are required to attend training equal to three hours per elected term.

The new year is approaching quickly, and with it comes new opportunity for our elected officials — as well as a renewed opportunity for those who have been re-elected or who have been in office for any amount of time — to fulfill their civic duty of being educated and knowledgeable about rules regarding public records.

We urge each to pay close attention, to take notes and to ask questions. If they still aren’t sure about the specifics of Ohio’s sunshine laws, read them in the Ohio Revised Code sections 149.43 or 121.22. The Ohio Attorney General web site offers an “Open Government Resource Manual,” commonly referred to as the “Yellow Book,” which outlines in layman’s terms Ohio law about public access, including references to very specific case law on important legal challenges.

No elected official ever should violate sunshine law. Still, it seems to happen all too often. It seems we have been writing stories about legal challenges to perceived violations increasingly often.

That cannot stand. The business and the records belong to the public — not to the officials.

If these officials become educated on these laws, as expected, ignorance should be no excuse.

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