Three members of the chapter’s Board of Directors have met with the new state public access counselor, telling him of SPJ’s longtime advocacy for open government.
Access Counselor Andrew Kossack said during the meeting that he wanted to be active in informing the public and government officials about the state’s Access to Public Records and Open Door laws. He mentioned doing so through education sessions and use of the office’s Web site.
Kossack comes to the access counselor position after working in labor and employment law at the Indianapolis firm of Barnes & Thornburg for two years. He says during that time he was “on the business end” of some government records request denials.
SPJ Project Sunshine state chairman Gerry Lanosga told Kossack of SPJ’s support for creation of the access counselor’s office in 1998 after a group of Indiana newspapers detailed the failure of many local government officials to follow the public records law. Chapter President Amy Wimmer Schwarb and Chapter Secretary Tom Davies also attended the meeting.
