Starting July 1, all elected officials in Maine must undergo mandatory training about the state’s Freedom of Access Act. It’s a low-intensity educational experience; a simple tutorial suffices.

This is the bare minimum, however, of how much knowledge public officials should have about their duties and requirements under FOAA. An intuitive approach to public access to information doesn’t suffice – with this law, the details are most important.

And, we’ve found, most often flubbed.

A great misconception about access laws is that they are invasive, and are avenues to embarrassment that should be avoided at all costs. Nothing is further from the truth; a clear, concise access policy carries equal advantages to government and its citizens.

For government, freedom of access is a fundamental agreement with the public to conduct their business openly and honestly. By keeping an open window, officials can build public support, cooperation and trust.

And, of course, the reverse is true for the public. Through this window, citizens can ensure their officials are behaving properly, and working for the public interest.

Building this relationship is the intent of the mandatory FOAA education. We urge officials to not look upon this requirement as another hurdle to cross, or some kind of labor to complete and then completely forget about.

It’s now the law because it is important, for the sake of the public and government.

And it exists for the benefit of both.