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Democracy flourishes when government operates in the sunshine, available to the citizens it serves and open to public scrutiny.
To preserve and encourage openness, the Ohio General Assembly passed the Open Meetings and Public Records acts, collectively known as the "Sunshine Laws."
Because many of the records held by public bodies pertain to private matters of citizens interacting with their government, the balance between openness and privacy is a delicate one. The Sunshine Laws are constantly being evaluated to ensure that the information gathered by the government is not abused and that individual privacy rights are protected to the greatest extent possible.
The 2008 edition of the Ohio Sunshine Laws Update, frequently referred to as the "Yellow Book," is an overview of statutes and case law prepared by the Attorney General's office to guide public officials, as well as Ohio citizens, regarding the application of the Public Records and/or the Open Meetings law. Additionally, representatives within the Attorney General's office are available to guide local governments who want to set their own policies for openness as provided by law.
Additional copies of the "Yellow Book" can be obtained by contacting our Program Develop Department at (614) 644-5224 or e-mail Stephanie Anderson.