Serving the Public, Protecting Democracy

We serve the public. We fight for democracy.

Our nonprofit doesn’t do either of these things in a straightforward, easy-to-explain way.

Every day, we help regular people who have hit barriers while getting public records or attending open meetings. If the government agencies that created the barriers continue to break the law, we file lawsuits to make them stop.

What does this mean in real life?

It means calling out a village for illegally charging fees for public records to ensure citizens can obtain a free copy of a car accident report for their insurance company instead of paying $20. It means filing a lawsuit demanding that a school board stop meeting behind closed doors so parents can observe the decisions being made about their children.

We do this because the public must know what its government is doing. It is their right.

Democracy cannot survive when that right is taken away.