Tallahassee Democrat by James Call

July 15, 2017

Leon County’s delegation to the Florida Legislature is steadfastly neutral when it comes to open government, according to the Florida Society of Newspapers Editors scorecard. The four lawmakers, though, question the findings. They say the bills FSNE and the First Amendment Foundation flagged as priorities were complicated and forced lawmakers to balance personal safety with the public’s right to know.

Rep. Loranne Ausley received the highest grade, a C+, among the three Democrats and one Republican representing the Tallahassee metro area. The grade was calculated based on the results of seven bills filed during the 2017 session the FAF viewed as hostile to Florida’s tradition of providing access to public documents, a right enshrined in the state constitution in 1992.

Ausley supported the FAF position on four of the measures and her final grade averaged 10th best among the 160-member Legislature. [READ MORE]