State open-government laws vary considerably. You may want to include boxes that explain what meetings and records are open because of your state’s Sunshine Laws.

In general, opening meetings or records in many states include:

• Meetings of public officials and organizations
• Records, including electronic records, of public agencies
• Most court proceedings
• Most police reports
• Automobile ownership
• Most public records (including donations to politicians and those politicians' votes on key issues)
• Articles of incorporation
• Bills and vouchers of government purchases
• Wills
• Receiverships
• Bankruptcies
• City building permits
• Unpaid taxes
• Liens
• Records dealing with licenses (i.e. restaurants)
• Stockholder meetings of publicly held companies

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Strategies for Coverage | State Sunshine Laws | Reasons to Use Your State Sunshine Laws Examples of Stories Printed Because of FOIA | Practical Reasons to Use Your Federal Open-Government Laws How to Get FOIA Records Faster | Briefs to Explain the Project to Readers