Talks focus on open government
League of Women Voters chapters will lead talks statewide
As part of "Sunshine Week" from Sunday to March 18, League of Women Voters chapters around the state will host discussions on why open government is important to the public.
The forums will also discuss challenges to the state Sunshine Law today. This project is made possible with the support of the League of Women Voters Education Fund.
By island, here are the events:
Big Island
» March 15: Les Kondo, director of the state Office of Information Practices, will participate in a panel discussion on the purpose and effect of open-records laws on local government. Other participants will be Lincoln Ashida, Hawaii County attorney, and Pat Tummons, president of the Big Island Press Club. Moderator for the forum will be journalist Hunter Bishop. This event will be held 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the County Council chambers in the Hawaii County Building. Participation via teleconference will also be available in Waimea and Kona. The location of the video facility in Waimea is 64-1067 Mamalahoa, Kamuela, off Kamaamalu Road across from the police station. In Kona the facility is in the Kailua Trade Center, 75-5706 Hanama Place, Suite 109. For more information, contact Marianna Scheffer at
mscheffe@hilo.net.
Oahu
» Next Tuesday: The topic, "Digital Democracy and Freedom of Information: Are Technology and Civil Rights Colliding or Converging?" by Mark Cooper, Ph.D., will be presented at the Imin Center Dining Room, Honolulu. Cooper is the author of "Media Ownership and Democracy in the Digital Information Age." He is also tentatively scheduled for various events on Thursday and Friday. Honolulu Community-Media Council director Sean McLaughlin is coordinating Cooper's visit. Call 808-748-0880 or sean@mediacouncil.org, or contact Jacqueline Parnell at
jparnell1@verizon.net.
Kauai County
» March 18: Kondo, director of the Office of Information Practices, will participate in a panel discussion on the purpose and effect of open-records and sunshine laws on local government. Other participants include the editor of the Garden Island newspaper, Adam Harju. The event will be held 10 a.m. to noon March 18 at the Aloha Beach Resort, Alii Room. Coffee will be served. The forum is open to the public. For more information, contact Carol Bain, 246-2111 or e-mail
klwv@kauai.net.
Maui County
» Monday: "The Role of Alternative Media in Reporting the News" will be presented at noon by Anthony Pignataro, editor of the Maui Times weekly, at Maui Community College, Hale 216.
» March 15: "The Role of the Fourth Branch in Informing the Citizens" will be presented at noon by Don Gronning, editor of the Haleakala Times, at Maui Community College, Hale 216.
» March 20: "Reflections on Media and Democracy," presented by Chris Conybeare of the Honolulu Community-Media Council at Maui Community College, noon, Hale 216.
These events are part of the Third Annual First Amendment Freedom Forum. The forum features editors of alternative papers on Maui speaking to students and community about the importance of the First Amendment and sunshine laws to have a healthy democracy. The forum is a joint effort by the Hawai'i Institute for Human Rights along with the League of Women Voters and Society of Professional Journalists Maui Community College. For more information, contact Joshua Cooper, joshua@hawaii.edu.