How easy is it for you to obtain information about what your local and state governments do on your behalf? The Massachusetts Campaign for Open Government’s goal is to make access to information about local and state government actions and decisions as easy as possible for every citizen, by raising public awareness about the Massachusetts Open Meeting law and the Massachusetts Public Records Law, by supporting changes to those laws to increase access, and by encouraging greater use of the internet by local and state governments as a mechanism for providing access.

With the growth of the internet, everyone should be able to obtain important information about their local government with the click of a mouse. On March 18th, at the State House, the Massachusetts Campaign for Open Government recognized a number of Massachusetts municipalities that have made it that easy for their citizens to obtain access to key governance records online. This simple and inexpensive action opens local government to more people and greatly improves their ability to be responsible, informed citizens.With the growth of the internet, everyone should be able to obtain important information about their local government with the click of a mouse.

The ceremony took place during Sunshine Week, an annual event created to increase awareness about open government issues nationwide. Each municipality will be presented with the 2008 E-Government Award.

(Updated: March 13, 2008)