WASHINGTON - November 21 - The League of Women Voters (LWV) today launched "Openness in Government: Looking for the Sunshine," a project to broaden public awareness about the issues involved in, and the threats related to, accountability and transparency in government.

"Finding out how the government is serving the public has always been somewhat difficult, and in a post-9/11 age, these challenges are even greater," said Kay J. Maxwell, president of the League of Women Voters of the United States. "The government is becoming less open and more secretive in the name of homeland security at a time when many feel that greater accountability is needed. 'Openness in Government' will bring to light these concerns and allow citizens to discuss this important topic."

The League will develop educational materials about federal, state and local laws concerning citizen access, the extent and types of threats to these laws that have occurred in recent years, and data on the increasing levels of information being put off-limits since 9-11. These easy-to-use reference materials will be available for all Leagues to use.

The League will also fund at least 10 state and local Leagues to hold community forums during "Sunshine Week 2006" (March 12 - 18), and the LWV and national partners will hold a "Sunshine Week" kickoff event in Washington, D.C. "Sunshine Week" is sponsored by journalism groups, media companies, open-government and First Amendment advocates, librarians and educators across the country, with the goal of stimulating public discussion about why open government is important to everyone and why it is under challenge today.

"Openness in Government: Looking for the Sunshine" is an outgrowth of the League's recently completed project "Local Voices: Citizen Conversations about Civil Liberties and Secure Communities," an initiative that examined the public's views about the relationship between civil liberties and homeland security.

"Our findings from the Local Voices project pointed to public concerns about a lack of openness in government, a desire by citizens for greater transparency at all levels of government, and a desire for public input and involvement," said Maxwell. "While looking to continue our efforts on this topic, we became more familiar with the ongoing concerns and efforts of journalists in this same area. We believe that this project, in conjunction with 'Sunshine Week 2006,' will contribute to the goal of more openness in government, for the benefit of the American public."

The League of Women Voters Education Fund is receiving funding for this project from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of 26 U.S. communities.

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