By Dave Berman and Stacey Barchenger Brevard County’s government website is better than average, in terms of providing public access to information. But it has room for improvement, according to a study by the Florida First Amendment Foundation. The Tallahassee-based foundation’s recently released analysis of the websites of Florida’s 67 counties and 47 of its […]
Gaetz pushes open records attorney bill, but for whose benefit?
TALLAHASSEE — Senate President Don Gaetz is no ally of trial lawyers. Since joining the Legislature in 2006, Gaetz has consistently tried to limit damage awards, which also limits lawyers’ fees. Just last year, the Panhandle Republican, who made his fortune in the hospice industry, supported a bill shielding hospitals from liability and limiting expert […]
Stay open
Honestly, chances are you’ve never stood up on a street corner soapbox to blast your government or produced a pamphlet like Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense.” That doesn’t mean you value any less the rights of free speech and a free press. Likewise, you may never have made a public-records request. Regardless, you should be concerned […]