California lags, but Texas shines at the top of the rating of online access to government records — essential to a democratic system of governance and a core tool of the private investigator. Sunshine Week 2009 launched today with the publication of the survey ranking state governments’ online public records. The effort was developed and organized by Sunshine Week, the American Society of Newspaper Editors’ Freedom of Information Committee, the National Freedom of Information Coalition, and the Society of Professional Journalists’ FOI Committee. The volunteer surveyors found that most states are digitizing some records and linking to sites with additional records, but they are often hard to find. In general, states have a smattering of public records online and have not made an extensive effort toward transparency.

More state newspaper reports of local government on the web.

California: California’s middling online record performance

Colorado: Many key records available online, free in Colo.

Illinois: How Illinois fared in Sunshine Week survey

Iowa: Some Iowa counties still chasing the Web

Louisiana: SUNSHINE WEEK: Watchdog groups criticize Jindal administration’s lack of transparency

Minnesota: Survey: 65 percent of Minn. gov’t records online

Nevada: Sunshine Week: A call to keep flow of public information free

Tennessee: Tennessee not putting some public records online

Texas: It’s not the government’s information; it’s your information

Washington: Some, but not all Wash. government records online