Oregon DOJ Launches “Open Door to Government”: a New Resource to Make Government more Transparent and Accessible for Oregonians

The Oregon Department of Justice (ODOJ) today launched Open Door to Government, a new online resource designed to help Oregonians better understand how their state government works. The toolkit, housed on a new page under the Attorney General section of the ODOJ website, brings together guidance on public records law, public meetings law, AG opinions and appointments, agency rulemaking, and FAQs from Oregonians - all in one place.

"Government only works for people if they can find their way into it," said Attorney General Dan Rayfield. "Open Door to Government is about making sure Oregonians don't have to be lawyers or insiders to understand their rights, ask a question, or get an answer. We're opening the door wider, and we're committed to continuously expanding and improving these resources."

Open Door to Government includes:

• "Oregon DOJ and Me" Toolkit - Includes an introduction to the Attorney General's role and how Oregon DOJ serves the public, as well as answers to frequently asked questions
• Public Records Toolkit - Includes links to request public records, see current public records requests and existing resources, and find answers to commonly asked questions about Oregon's Public Records Law
• Public Meetings Toolkit - Helps governing bodies understand their obligations, helps the public understand how to make sure governing bodies are complying with public meeting law, and provides links and resources for commonly asked questions
• Attorney General Opinions - Formal legal opinions that represent the State of Oregon's position on questions of law, with additional context and framing of why these matter to Oregonians
• Attorney General Appointments - Includes a list of all advisory committees, task forces, councils, and commissions for which the Attorney General has legal appointment responsibility, as well as information for how to get involved
• Rules and Rulemaking - An overview of Oregon DOJ's rulemaking activity, including information and links for rule definitions, proposed rules, recently adopted rules, and additional resources

Oregonians can explore the full Open Door to Government landing page with all of its links and see an introductory message from AG Rayfield.

Questions or feedback can be sent to [email protected]. Oregon DOJ plans to continue expanding the resource with additional tools in the coming months.