Public Records Reform

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Oregon Sunshine Committee

Oregon Sunshine Committee Meeting, January 31, 2018

Open Government Impact Statements – Legislative Counsel prepares reports that describe whether proposed laws would affect the disclosure of public records, for example by creating new exemptions from public disclosure requirements. The following is a list of the 61 bills introduced so far this session (as of 3/14/19) that would affect public disclosure.

HB2016, HB2038, HB2051, HB2065, HB2090, HB2100, HB2282, HB2321, HB2337, HB2345, HB2353, HB2421, HB2462, HB2470, HB2481, HB2492, HB2574, HB2588, HB2705, HB2706, HB2710, HB2717, HB2770, HB2833, HB2841, HB2858, HB2859, HB2889, HB2915, HB2983, HB3023, HB3031, HB3048, HB3071, HB3181, HB3223, SB0029, SB0029, SB0031, SB0074, SB0155, SB0223, SB0230, SB0276, SB0279, SB0358, SB0373, SB0388, SB0454, SB0454, SB0476, SB0481, SB0520, SB0523, SB0542, SB0597, SB0605, SB0609, SB0640, SB0826, SB0838, SB0842, SB0873

In 2017, with the input of the Attorney General’s Public Records Law Reform Task Force, the Oregon legislature passed the most significant improvements to public records access since our law was first enacted. One of those new laws, HB 2101, created the Oregon Sunshine Committee. Like the name suggests, its job is to make sure that Oregon’s sunshine laws are working. A large part of that task involves reviewing the hundreds of exemptions that can keep government information out of public hands, with the goal of creating a more transparent government.

On this page, you can find information about the work of the Oregon Sunshine Committee. Regular meetings are currently scheduled on the third Wednesday of every odd-numbered month (January, March, May, etc.). The Sunshine Committee generally meets in Hearing Room C of the Oregon State Capitol at 1:30 PM. Agendas and meeting materials are accessible from this page. Written comments to the Oregon Sunshine Committee and requests for accommodation can be sent to SunshineCommittee@doj.state.or.us.

Next Sunshine Committee Meeting

Date:03/20/2019Time:1:30 pm - 4:30 pmLocation:Oregon State Archives Building
Sunshine Committee Meeting
800 Summer Street NE
Salem, OR 97301
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Materials

GoToMeeting: You may join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone at: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/121611301 and install the GoToMeeting app ahead of time at: https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/121611301. You can also dial in using your phone at: (866) 899 4679 (Toll Free) or (646) 749-3117, and Access Code: 121-611-301.

PII Subcommittee – Public Meeting Notice

The Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Subcommittee will conduct its next meeting in Tigard on March 15, 2019, from 1:00 to 3:00. The subcommittee will: (a) discuss revised recommendations for the Sunshine Committee regarding the treatment of PII under the public records law; (b) review proposed factors public bodies should consider when evaluating the public interest in disclosing conditionally exempt information; and (c) decide whether the subcommittee needs to meet again before presenting its recommendations to the full committee. PII Subcommittee meeting materials are available here:

The meeting will occur in the Law Office of Eileen Eakins, located at 7455 SW Bridgeport Road, Suite 205, Tigard, OR 97224. It is in the second floor professional offices above the Bridgeport Village shops, accessible through the glass double doors caddy corner to the parking garage. To attend by phone, please call 877-275-1177, passcode 1029396#. The meeting will not be lived streamed.

Written comments to the PII Subcommittee of the Oregon Sunshine Committee and requests for accommodation can be sent to SunshineCommittee@doj.state.or.us.

Upcoming meeting dates:

  • 03/20/19
  • 05/15/19
  • 07/17/19

Meeting Records

Sunshine Committee Members

HB 2101 requires committee members to represent a variety of sectors or interest groups.

  • Selena Deckelmann, Director of Engineering at Mozilla Firefox
  • Eileen Eakins, Law Office of Eileen Eakins, LLC
  • Charlie Fisher, OSPIRG State Director
  • Karin Johnson, City Recorder for Independence
  • Adrienne Roark, VP and General Manager at KPTV Fox 12
  • Morgan Smith, Polk City Counsel
  • Brent Walth, UO journalism professor
  • Christian Wihtol, Senior Editor at the Register Guard
  • Emily Matasar, Government Accountability Attorney, Office of Governor Kate Brown
  • Mary Beth Herkert, State Archivist, Office of Secretary of State Dennis Richardson
  • Michael Kron, Special Counsel, Office of Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum
  • Representative Karin Power of Milwaukie (ex officio)
  • Representative Carl Wilson of Grants Pass (ex officio)
  • Senator Brian Boquist of Dallas (ex officio)
  • Senator Floyd Prozanski of Eugene (ex officio)

Contact

SunshineCommittee@doj.state.or.us

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