(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Ohio Auditor of State Dave Yost today announced the release of the revised and updated version of the Sunshine Laws Manual. This guide, published as a joint venture of both offices, is an open government resource regarding the state's open meetings and public records laws.
"For government to be truly accountable and transparent, it must operate in the open," said Attorney General Mike DeWine. "The Sunshine Laws Manual is made available to help officials and citizens in Ohio better understand our state's open meetings and public records laws."
"The Yellow Book is the owner's manual for public records – and the owner is you, not the government," said Auditor of State Dave Yost.
To view or download the updated manual, commonly referred to as the "Yellow Book," visit www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/YellowBook or www.Auditor.state.oh.us.
In addition to releasing this guide each year, the Attorney General's office and the Auditor's office promote open government by offering free Sunshine Law Trainings to public officials, as required by law. In 2011, the offices conducted 20 training sessions attended by more than 1,300 people.
Sunshine Law training sessions have been scheduled across the state for 2012. A full schedule is available at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/SunshineLawTraining. The general public is welcome to attend these trainings.
The Sunshine Laws Manual is intended as a guide. However, because much of open government law is derived from case law or the interpretation of statutes by the courts, local governments are encouraged to seek guidance from their legal counsel when specific legal questions about these laws arise.
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