TALLAHASSEE — First Amendment advocates are asking Gov. Rick Scott to veto three Senate bills his office received on Thursday, arguing that each measure represents another diminishment of Florida’s long tradition of open government and open records. The First Amendment Foundation, an advocacy group for open government funded by newspapers and other groups and individuals, […]
Public Records Exemption Passed For Tax Collectors – Florida Society of News Editors
The Florida Senate voted 38-0 on Tuesday to approve a public-records exemption that would prevent the release of taxpayers’ email addresses obtained by county tax collectors for the purpose of sending tax notices. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, said such email addresses can be used for identity theft and scams. “The public […]
On Average, More Than 25 Sunshine Law Exemptions Created Annually Over Past Three-Decades – The Tampa Tribune
The “sun” may be getting dimmer in the Sunshine State. The Florida Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill (SB 200) that exempts from public records disclosure any email address used by tax collectors to send tax notices. It’s one of at least 60 efforts introduced this legislative session to close more state-held information to […]
