Though we needed no reminders, the latest outrages out of Washington have proven that would-be dictators and their empowered henchmen will seek to shut down free speech and hide their misdeeds whenever they can.
Fortunately, in Connecticut, government by and for the people has remained much healthier. This is thanks to heroes ensuring that our state and municipal meetings, records, and officials remain open and accessible, and that the freedom to speak—to critique and criticize—remains robust.
I am on the board of the Connecticut Foundation for Open Government, which for more than three decades has sought to educate the public about the vital need for freedom of information. As part of that effort, we honor its champions. We are journalists, lawyers, professors, state and local officials, and others dedicated to the notion, as Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously asserted, that “If the broad light of day could be let in upon men’s actions, it would purify them as the sun disinfects.”
We know—and we want the public to know—that open government benefits liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, and everyone in between. All parties and people should be able to see what their public officials are doing and both take part in decisions or comment on them. If they could, they would understand government better and stop believing the wild conspiracy theories, myths, and misinformation that bad actors peddle.
Open, transparent, accessible government is bipartisan—call it what you will. It is for everyone. It protects everyone.
Sadly and dangerously, President Trump doesn’t agree.
In just the last month, he’s had his FCC chairman threaten TV networks unless they stifle Jimmy Kimmel and other critics. His Attorney General has threatened to prosecute people for “hate” speech. His Vice President has encouraged people to report critiques of Charlie Kirk and other matters to their employers, hoping those uttering criticism will be fired.
Meanwhile, Congressional Republicans and the Justice Department refuse to release the Epstein files. The FBI refuses to release the tape of immigration czar Tom Homan allegedly accepting cash in a paper bag from those seeking border security contracts. The administration refuses to produce documents, tapes, or other evidence that the Venezuelan boats it has blown out of the water were actually smuggling drugs.
Information is not free in this administration. Government is not transparent.
But here in Connecticut, the Freedom of Information Act is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
There are those, to be sure, who want to limit access to public records and keep government meetings closed to the public. But the overwhelming majority of state and local officials—led by the Freedom of Information Commission, leadership in the General Assembly, and hundreds of sterling mayors, first selectmen, town clerks, and town councilors—are keeping records available and meetings open.
Last week, more than 100 guardians of those rights gathered at the Mark Twain House & Museum to honor some of those heroes. Among them were the Republican and Democratic leaders of the state House of Representatives, Vincent Candelora and Jason Rojas, who have distinguished themselves in recent years—and particularly this year—by defending government transparency in the face of determined efforts to shield government actions from the public.
As leaders admired by their respective caucuses, they are both uncommonly influential when they take a stand on issues, and have proven their philosophical opposition to government secrecy when reviewing proposed legislation.
This year, in contrast to Washington—where compromise and bipartisan agreement are almost nonexistent—they were instrumental in promoting sincere caucus-to-caucus discussions that ultimately defeated bills that would have:
– Kept hidden higher education records pertaining to teaching or research
– Restricted access to voter records
– Permitted public review of complaints against police and corrections officers only after they had been “investigated and adjudicated by the proper legal authority”
– Allowed school superintendents to attend closed executive sessions of boards of education without limitation, creating a slippery slope that might have unleashed unlimited closed sessions by councils, boards of selectmen, and other public bodies in future years
Other honorees included The Housing Collective, which works to create affordable homes across Connecticut. Each week, it publishes a comprehensive listing of land-use commission meetings’ times, locations, and agendas—where housing creation decisions are made—so residents can attend and voice concerns. It also provides a list of vacancies on land-use boards so residents can seek appointment or election, along with explanations of what land-use boards are empowered to decide and information on how to understand their actions and offer input.
If every policy organization in Connecticut—environmental, public health, education—did the same, government would be more visible and less mysterious. Connecticut residents would be less inclined to believe the misinformation and conspiracy theories fed to them by those trying to mislead them.
Journalist Katherine Revello, of CT Inside Investigator, was also honored for writing more than 150 pieces in the last year explaining the Freedom of Information Act and open meetings law.
Colleen M. Murphy, the current executive director and general counsel of the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission, received a special award for her steadfast advocacy of open government. With 35 years as an FOI attorney and 20 years as the commission’s leader, she is widely respected as a fair, objective, and brilliant attorney, and is a sought-after speaker nationally on government transparency, privacy, and FOI issues.
The honor they all received—the Mitchell W. Pearlman Freedom of Information Award—is named after the first executive director of the state FOI Commission and the father of the state’s FOI Act. He attended the ceremony, standing to the side, smiling.
We will all have a reason to keep smiling if government records, officials, and meetings remain open and accessible.
But “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” as Abraham Lincoln understood, will perish from the earth if the abuses out of Washington continue and spread. Democracy will only remain alive if we ensure that “We the People”—all the people—can see, petition, and shape their government.
The heroes honored last week were richly deserving. But they can’t do it alone. We have to be heroes, too.
*David Fink is a Board Member of the Connecticut Foundation for Open Government.*
https://ctmirror.org/2025/10/24/an-open-transparent-accessible-government-protects-everyone/
