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This edition contains revisions resulting primarily from the publication of opinion letters from the Hawaii Office of Information Practices through 2011.

Hawaii's initial Sunshine Law relating to public meetings and records was enacted in 1975 and is codified as chapter 92 of Hawaii Revised Statutes [Chapter 92, Sunshine Law].

In North Carolina, public access to information about the workings of government is provided primarily through the Open Meetings Law (G.S. §§ 143-318.9 through 143-318.18 (1991)) and the Public Records Law (G.S. §§ 132-1 through 132-10 (1995)). These two statutes, coupled with a tradition of tenacity and ingenuity on the part of the state's newspapers and a deeply entrenched sense of entitlement on the part of the state's citizens, open many meeting rooms, files and databases that otherwise would remain closed.

Texas has a rich political heritage, one which has historically demonstrated a strong commitment to the free flow of information and open government. When Texas announced its independence from Mexico, its declaration stated: "[It] is an axiom in political science, that unless the people are educated and enlightened, it is idle to expect the continuance of civil liberty, or the capacity for self-government." The Declaration of Independence of Texas para. 11 (1836).

1967 was a year of substantial progress toward open government in Iowa. In that year, the legislature passed statutes which, for the first time, opened specified meetings and records of certain governmental bodies to certain members of the public. What follows is a brief introduction to the development of the respective statutes.

North Dakotans have some of the most comprehensive open records and open meetings laws in the nation. Under North Dakota law, all records of public bodies are open for inspection by anyone, and all meetings of public bodies are open for attendance by anyone, unless there is a specific statutory exception.

Utah’s statutory scheme guarantees public access to government records and meetings subject to certain exceptions discussed below.

Open records.

The public records statutes in Nebraska employ the same basic format as the federal Freedom of Information Act, although the substance and some of the procedural mechanisms differ significantly. In other words, the Nebraska public records statutes begin with the presumption that all records belonging to the government are available for public inspection and copying, and then except out certain categories of records that need not be produced by government.

The Virginia General Assembly enacted the Freedom of Information Act ("the Act") in 1968. Through this Act, the legislature sought to secure to the Commonwealth's citizens access to public records and meetings not specifically exempted by law.

It is public policy in Illinois that all persons are entitled to full and complete information about the affairs of government and the official acts and policies of public officials and public employees, and that the actions and deliberations of public bodies be conducted openly. See 5 ILCS 120/1; 5 ILCS 140/1.