Advocates of transparent government in Alabama may have found a new face for their cause.

Paul Davis, publisher of newspapers in Tuskegee, Auburn and Tallassee and a longtime mental-health supporter, recently resigned from the Alabama Department of Mental Health's board of trustees.

The reason: He learned that the board's meetings were not open to the public.

Good for Davis. Sometimes it takes radical action to get Montgomery's attention.

Nevertheless, we hope Davis — and the like-minded — will use this spark to keep burning the flame for open government.

Closed-door government doesn't work.