On April 29, the Advocate Messenger shared a bit of its past and provided historical context for the period which gave birth to the open records law.

The Advocate Messenger reprinted the first page of its April 29, 1975, edition which included articles about the surrender of South Vietnam and the end of the Vietnam War.

It also featured a story about the emergence of a new law aimed at securing the public's right of access to public records. One year earlier, lawmakers had enacted the open meetings law, guaranteeing the public's right of access to all gatherings of a quorum of the members of a public agency at which public business is discussed or action is taken.

One year later they would enact the open records law.

An interesting article located in the top center of the front page deals with investigations into a reported meeting between former Governor Wendell Ford and a group of coal miners who were allegedly coerced into making campaign contributions.

Imagine how useful a tool the open records law might have been in exposing the truth about that meeting.

When the law is rigorously enforced, and therefore works as intended, requesters have — since its enactment — had access to records containing the unfiltered truth.