Beverly Ann Deepe Keever is back in the Hawaii FOI fight after taking two years off to write her doctoral dissertation. And those who tread on openness in government know it. “Bev has been active in freedom of information and ‘sunshine’ issues for more than two decades,” said Ian Lind, a free-lancer well-versed in FOI issues. “She has trained generations of student journalists to appreciate the need for increased openness in government and constant vigilance against the tendency of public officials to retreat behind layers of secrecy.” Over the years, the University of Hawaii journalism professor has ferreted out problems with government agencies’ adherence to the state open meetings and records laws. She is quick to point out problems that reporters covering the meeting aren’t even aware of. In March, Keever talked to the Hawaii SPJ Professional Chapter about the University of Hawaii regents setting the salary of the new UH president without a public vote. The UH regents – long called into question about their closed-door actions over the years – had picked a new president behind closed doors and set his salary at $442,000 without any notice of an official board action. So the chapter sued. Not only did Keever provide the background, she found an attorney willing to take the case on a contingency basis – which meant the chapter was responsible for legal costs only. A Circuit Court judge ruled that there was no need for notification, because the board said in previous notices that it was meeting in secret to consider the selection of the president and that the salary was part of the selection process – which can be done behind closed doors. The chapter is seeking a writ from the Hawaii Supreme Court to overturn the ruling. Keever thinks the ruling sets a dangerous precedent. It means that a board could meet almost anytime as long as it calls it a continuation of a previous meeting for which there was a notice posted. Keever, a former Vietnam War correspondent, teaches and writes about open government records for her classroom. She says the Freedom of Information Act shows the fundamentals of government and is a gateway through which the public can see government in action. “That’s why they’re (records) worth fighting for,” she said. “Professional journalists, students and private citizens have always been able to rely on her expertise and interest when tackling specific issues,” Lind said. Stirling Morita
SPJ Hawaii Sunshine Chair
