Agencies still in dark on sunshine laws
		Web-posted 12/11/99   Without sunshine laws, your city or county could raise taxes or build a landfill just off your kitchen window without informing you. Yet, after a quarter-century of these laws, compliance throughout Georgia is spotty at best, according to a first-ever survey.

	Records difficult to obtain
		Web-posted 12/11/99   When Staff Writer Jason B. Smith went to Jefferson County Sheriff's Department to see how accessible incident reports were, he encountered one of the most blatant violations of the state sunshine laws found in the Augusta area. Here is his account of the events.

	Officers often violate state open records laws
		Web-posted 12/12/99   Officers don't accept many excuses when writing a ticket, but they certainly have plenty of excuses themselves for breaking the law when it comes to providing public information.

	Many police agencies want written request for records
	Web-posted 12/12/99   OK, here are the rules -- but be warned, they're sketchy. ``All public records, with certain exceptions, shall be open for personal inspection by any Georgia citizen at a reasonable time and place; and those in charge of the records can't refuse this privilege to any citizen,'' according to Georgia law.

	Cities are complying with the law
		Web-posted 12/14/99   Georgia's cities, it seems, have seen the light. In a statewide survey, they made public records available 93 percent of the time. That score puts them well ahead of Georgia police departments, sheriff's offices and school boards in complying with the state's sunshine laws.

	Area governments follow law
	Web-posted 12/14/99   Faith Johnson had a purpose as she walked into the Columbia County Commission office in September.

	Meetings' legality questioned
		Web-posted 12/14/99   CLAXTON, GA. -- Mitchell Peace hired an attorney and incurred a five-figure legal bill in defense of Georgians' right to know.

	Sole commissions less open
		Web-posted 12/14/99   JASPER, Ga. -- As the sole commissioner in Pickens County, Frank K. Martin doesn't need to hold a debate or build consensus before he makes a decision. He can pass any law he wants.

	Sole commissioner called simplest format
		Web-posted 12/14/99   There are only 10 counties in Georgia with sole commissioners: Bartow, Bleckley, Chattooga, Haralson, Lumpkin, Pickens, Pulaski, Towns, Union and Walker. Frank K. Martin has been the sole commissioner in Pickens County for nearly three years.

	Affidavit law poses no problem
	Web-posted 12/14/99   The new open meetings law that requires the mayor or chairman to sign an affidavit after a public meeting has been closed to discuss topics such as personnel, litigation or real estate has posed no major problems to many Augusta area officials.

	Local systems fail test
		Web-posted 12/15/99   Don't expect to walk in off the street and get a copy of a superintendent's employment contract from a local school system.

	College records made accessible
		Web-posted 12/16/99   When surveyors fanned out across Georgia to ask for public records in September, the state's public college system did pretty well.

	Survey: Most agencies follow open records law
		Web-posted 12/17/99   On the cusp of a new millennium, government in Georgia is as open as it has ever has been. All Georgians have the right to read police reports, county commission meeting minutes and the contracts of school officials.

	Sheriff's office goes beyond law
	Web-posted 12/17/99   It started out as a convenience: It was easier and quicker to e-mail press releases. But convenience has become a routine procedure. Now, in urgent cases, the Columbia County Sheriff's Department e-mails press releases to all newspapers and electronic media in the area. The response from reporters has been tremendous.

	Internet use soars for cities
	Web-posted 12/17/99   From Acworth to Atlanta, Sugar Hill to Savannah, local governments throughout Georgia are annexing new territory on the Internet.

	Clerk of court posts public information online
	Web-posted 12/17/99   On Nov. 1, Manatee County, Fla., went public -- literally. R.B. ``Chips'' Shore, clerk of the circuit court, posted all public documents recorded in the county since 1978 on a Web site.

	Open records questions answered
	Web-posted 12/17/99   Here's how to get a city council agenda, find the Georgia open government laws online and other information about state open records.