Final answer:
The claim regarding the Virginia Freedom of Information Act is true. Both the federal Freedom of Information Act and state equivalents promote governmental transparency by presuming that all government records are open, barring certain exemptions for sensitive information.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the Virginia Freedom of Information Act declares affairs of government cannot be conducted in secrecy and all public records must be presumed open unless an exemption applies is true. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), passed in 1966 and signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, is a federal law that requires the executive branch of the U.S. government to furnish information requested by the public. While the federal FOIA does not apply directly to state laws like Virginia's, states typically have their own FOIA laws that follow a similar principle of openness in government. In both federal and state FOIA laws, certain exemptions exist to protect sensitive or private information from being disclosed, such as national security details, personal medical records, and trade secrets.
The Government in Sunshine Act of 1976 complements the FOIA by mandating that federal agencies conduct their meetings in public unless special exemptions apply. These sunshine laws are critical in ensuring governmental transparency and are considered a defense against tyranny by helping maintain the integrity of the democratic process.