I began my legal career under the training of two of the most important open government litigators in Kentucky’s history. Since then, there hasn’t been one day where I haven’t been suing some government agency—run by Republicans and Democrats—to enforce the Open Records Act and ensure public access to public records. 

Louisville’s Supreme Court Justice, Louis D. Brandeis, was right when he declared “publicity” to be the best tool for defeating monopolists and their government caretakers. “Sunlight,” he wrote, “is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.” 

Over 100 years later, Justice Brandeis’ words remain truer than ever. In this era of digital media and instant communications, transparency laws are vital to ensuring state government works for all of us. They are essential tools for Kentuckians to scrutinize their elected leaders and ensure “the public servants are indeed serving the public.” 

In some ways, Kentucky is a model for the nation. In the 1970’s the General Assembly passed Kentucky’s Open Records Act and declared that “free and open examination of public records is in the public interest.” To advance that policy, the legislature created powerful tools for citizens and journalists to monitor their government. The Open Records Act grants Kentuckians access to nearly any document used to conduct the public’s business, imposes strict timelines to respond to citizen requesters, and creates financial penalties for state agencies that refuse to comply with the law. 

Kentucky law is very clear. But our laws are only as effective as the people who enforce them. Recently, politicians and bureaucrats have been looking for ways to undermine Kentucky’s commitment to transparency and conduct the public’s business behind closed doors. 

I understand those efforts better than most. As your representative, I will continue this fight in Frankfort. I will work with any member of the General Assembly that is interested in promoting government transparency because Kentuckians deserve the opportunity to review and discuss legislation advanced in their name. Attacks on transparent government have galvanized bipartisan resistance across the county. The same commitment will be required in our Commonwealth to ensure Kentuckians retain access to, and oversight, of their elected leaders.