JACKSONVILLE – When it comes to providing access to public records, one rule should serve as a reliable guide for officials throughout Florida. Always be open and transparent. And never be too cute and clever for your own good. That
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Mark Ferrulo: Scott and his senior staff have operated in secrecy for too long
It was recently revealed that Adam Hollingsworth, Scott’s embattled Chief of Staff, frequently uses text messages to discuss state business, which is against official policy. This continues an alarming pattern of the Scott administration acting behind closed doors and out
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Gov. Scott’s office: Ask employees for records, not us – The Tampa Tribune
TALLAHASSEE — The administration of Gov. Rick Scott is making a unique legal argument when it comes to handing over public records: Get it from the employees, not us. As part of a bitter ongoing legal battle, attorneys who work
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DBPR failed to provide records – Tallahassee Democrat
By Jennifer Portman, Democrat senior writer The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation was ordered last month to pay a Collier County couple $6,720 in legal and other fees for failing to provide records as required by the state’s
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April Shine On – Monthly Chat with First Amendment Foundation
Barbara Petersen with the Florida First Amendment Foundation is back! Last month she addressed the issue of whether notes taken by public officials during meetings are subject to public information laws and what police are required to release during an ongoing
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Sunshine benefits both citizens and government – Opinion, The Tallahassee Democrat
By P.C. Wu When it comes to having an open and transparent government that is accountable to the people, Florida truly leads the nation. Since the Florida “Government in the Sunshine” law was enacted in 1967, we have served as
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Public Record Exemptions Slide Through As Safeguards Falter – WGCU
By Rick Stone With two weeks to go in the lawmaking session, open government and ethics measures favored by watchdog groups are stalled in the Florida Legislature. There is particular concern about citizen access to public records. The first worry
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EDITORIAL: Clouds dim Florida sunshine – nwfDailyNews.com
For a while, it must’ve seemed easy. SB 1648 and HB 1151, companion bills in the Senate and House, were written to improve Floridians’ access to public records and public meetings. They were zipping toward passage when the League of
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A curious champion for Senate President Don Gaetz’s public records bill – Tampa Bay Times
By Michael Van Sickler TALLAHASSEE — Senate President Don Gaetz made a public records bill one of his top priorities this session, only to see it stall in the Florida House. SB 1648, which passed the Senate last month, would
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Ethics bills languishing in Florida Legislature – Orlando Sentinel
By Aaron Deslatte, Tallahassee Bureau Chief TALLAHASSEE — A year after passing sweeping reforms on political lobbying and conflicts-of-interests, proposals to impose even stronger ethical requirements on politicians are languishing in the Florida Legislature. An eclectic group of organizations, including the
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