N.Y. Pub. Off. Law § 84

§ 84. Legislative declaration. The legislature hereby finds that a\nfree society is maintained when government is responsive and responsible\nto the public, and when the public is aware of governmental actions. The\nmore open a government is with its citizenry, the greater the\nunderstanding and participation of the public in government.\n As state and local government services increase and public problems\nbecome more sophisticated and complex and therefore harder to solve, and\nwith the resultant increase in revenues and expenditures, it is\nincumbent upon the state and its localities to extend public\naccountability wherever and whenever feasible.\n The people's right to know the process of governmental decision-making\nand to review the documents and statistics leading to determinations is\nbasic to our society. Access to such information should not be thwarted\nby shrouding it with the cloak of secrecy or confidentiality.\n The legislature therefore declares that government is the public's\nbusiness and that the public, individually and collectively and\nrepresented by a free press, should have access to the records of\ngovernment in accordance with the provisions of this article.\n