PROVIDENCE, RI – Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore and the RI Department of State today announced two 'Sunshine Week' events planned for next week as part of the annual recognition of the importance of accessible open government resources.
"The RI Department of State is proud to offer resources like the Open Government Center to connect Rhode Islanders to their government, and Sunshine Week gives us a great opportunity to introduce the public to these and other tools," said Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore. "I encourage all who are interested to participate in these events, view last year's webinars, and stay connected with our office."
This year, the RI Department of State will host two 'Sunshine Week' events:
• Access & Advocacy: Using Open Government Resources for Civic Engagement - Hear from Rhode Island State Librarian Kate Wells and Department of State Director of Public Information Stacy DiCola about topics such as: o How a bill becomes a law, and how to track bill progress o How to research Rhode Island legislative history o What it means to be a lobbyist versus a citizen advocate o Lobbying laws and compliance This event will be held on Monday, March 17 from 12 – 1:30 p.m. in person at the Rhode Island State Library (82 Smith Street, Providence, RI). Space is limited and lunch will be provided. Registration is required.
• Discovering Your Story: Genealogy Basics - RI State Archives staff will share tips, resources, and strategies, and answer your questions about getting started with researching your family history. This presentation will include an introduction to the Archives and how to conduct research at the Archives or from home. This event will be held on Wednesday, March 19 from 12 – 1 p.m. virtually via Zoom. Registration is required.
Learn more and register for both events on EventBrite.
In addition, the Department is reminding the public that last year's 'Sunshine Week' webinar series is available on the RI Department of State YouTube channel. Webinar topics presented last year include:
• Public Laws, Bill Searching, & the State Library - a demonstration of how to research public laws in Rhode Island and how to use the State Library's resources to access our government. • Elections & Voter Turnout - how to use the voter turnout tracker during an election cycle, as well as historical voting information such as voting method and demographic information, the mail-ballot drop box locator, and how to find a map of your legislative districts. • Open Government & Lobbying - an overview of the RI Department of State's Open Government resources, including the Open Meetings Portal, the Lobby Tracker tool, and contact information for government officials. • Business Services Data Hub - an overview of the RI Business Data Hub, a collection of interactive tools to explore business data collected by the RI Department of State. This workshop also covers how to use the Corporate Database to find details about a particular business or non-profit.
To learn more about the RI Department of State's Open Government resources, visit https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/open-government-center.
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