You've never heard of this group; here's why you should care

It's January 27. Williamsburg-based Coalition for Open Government celebrates 30 years this month. Plus, as the number of home-schooled kids grows, a new arts center expands to serve them.

Megan Rhyne runs the Virginia Center for Open Government (VCOGS picture)

CORRECTION: We got the name of VCOGS wrong, calling it the Center, rather than the Coalition for Open Government. We regret the error and have corrected it below.

You’ve probably never heard of the Williamsburg-based Virginia Coalition for Open Government, which this year celebrates 30 years fighting to open the workings of government to taxpayers.

Executive Director Megan Rhyne, who has been with the group for all but two of those years, says the average citizen doesn’t know the center exists, and why it fights to strengthen Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Although the center was founded by news media and the Virginia Press Association in 1996, Rhyne said the purpose of FOIA is not to help the news media, but the common citizen.

“When you are working for the public, you have a duty to the public to do your work in front of them and give them access to information and to you,” Rhyne says.

“I kind of feel …