FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org
The New England First Amendment Coalition and InDepthNH will present “How Transparent is New Hampshire Government and Why It Matters” from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on March 10 at Nashua Community College, 505 Amherst Street, Room 150, in Nashua, N.H.
The Sunshine Week program is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
The goal of Sunshine Week — March 15-21 this year with related events occurring throughout the month — is to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include news media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools and others interested in the public’s right to know.
Speakers include:
GILLES BISSONNETTE | Bissonnette is the Legal Director at the ACLU of New Hampshire, where he leads a team of three civil rights lawyers. He has litigated cases on the criminalization of poverty, voting, police and government accountability/public records, the First Amendment, immigrants’ rights, and criminal justice issues.
MARK DOYLE | Doyle became the Director of Emergency Services and Communication in June of 2017 after retiring as Chief of Police in Merrimack, N.H. where he spent his 32-year law enforcement career. He oversees the operations of the Division which includes the Enhanced 9-1-1 system and State of NH Radio Communications.
RICK GAGLIUSO | A member of NEFAC’s Board of Directors, Gagliuso is an established construction law authority, media attorney and civic activist who is a shareholder in the Bernstein Shur Law firm in Manchester. He represents media outlets throughout the state and serves on the board of directors of the New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism.
DEAN SHALHOUP | Shalhoup is a Nashua native and 1972 Nashua High School graduate who has worked for The Telegraph newspaper in various capacities for 47 years. He is currently a reporter/columnist on the paper’s editorial staff. His chief beats as a reporter are crime, police matters and courts.
NANCY WEST | West is the founder of the nonprofit New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism which publishes online InDepthNH.org to hold the powerful accountable and provide indepth reporting on state house matters and complex issues that affect New Hampshire people.
The program will begin with a meet-and-greet and then a panel discussion will follow. The discussion is geared to members of the public, municipal and state workers who deal with right-to-know requests, and high school and college students.
Bring questions to the event or email them prior to the program to nancywestnews@gmail.com.
NEFAC was formed in 2006 to advance and protect the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment, including the principle of the public’s right to know. We’re a broad-based organization of people who believe in the power of an informed democratic society. Our members include lawyers, journalists, historians, academics and private citizens.
Our coalition is funded through contributions made by those who value the First Amendment and who strive to keep government accountable. Please make a donation here.
Major Supporters of NEFAC include Hearst Connecticut Media Group, Paul and Ann Sagan, The Boston Globe, WBUR, Boston University and the Robertson Foundation.