Did you know that the Kentucky Open Government Coalition has been around for only two years? We received our nonprofit designation as a 501(c)(3) from the IRS in August 2019 with the goal of informing as many Kentuckians as possible about the crucial role of our state's open meetings and open records laws.

We are still in a building stage, but this year has proven that the Coalition is up to the challenge of helping more Kentuckians learn about open records and open meetings so they can help us raise awareness when state lawmakers threaten to diminish our open government laws. That was certainly the case during the General Assembly's 2021 Session, when the Coalition sounded alarms to make citizens aware of proposed changes to the laws — changes that hinder our rights to know.

Some of those changes could not be stopped despite our best efforts. But now we are preparing for the 2022 Session by improving our reach across the state.

We need your help. While a recent Coalition webinar delivered a substantial number of new advocates and newsletter subscribers, we are still working to bolster our numbers.

You probably know several people who could benefit from the information the Coalition shares every week in this newsletter. Please consider identifying at least five people among your contacts and make them aware of the Coalition. Ask them sign up for our weekly newsletter.

https://mailchi.mp/d7b1ddc5e963/kentucky-transparency-project?fbclid=Iw…

And if you are inclined, make a donation through PayPal. It will help us as we develop a website that will be crucial to our work when the General Assembly is back in session.

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=TFPQDB3WPTES2

Now is the time to get ready for the 2022 Session. To borrow a phrase from the sports world, you might call this the off-season for the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. Not because it is a slow or insignificant time. Rather it's the time when we prepare ourselves to do our best work.

And as sports enthusiasts know, the best teams are made during the off-season. Coaches and players invest many hours of practice during their off-season because that's when athletes become more agile and skillful.

That's what we're doing right now. Please join us and help spread the word.

And if you need any help with open meetings and open records questions, get in touch with us through the Facebook page. Although the Coalition cannot give legal advice, we do respond to questions about the laws and provide assistance.