The Florida Sunshine Review spotlights the latest news on Florida open government laws and freedom of information (FOI) issues, with special emphasis on public records and open meetings developments. For similar Florida items plus mass media news, see the monthly Brechner Report from the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida.

August 26, 2007

*Orlando Sentinel, by Rene Stutzman: Number of offenders getting their criminal court records sealed reaches all-time highs (*free registration required)…
Venice Gondolier, by Courtney Linn: How employees with different government entities deal with reporting arrests …

August 25, 2007

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St. Petersburg Times, by Steve Bousquet: Open government panel hears that Sunshine Law is routinely violated or treated lightly …
Florida Times-Union, letter to the editor from Thomas S. Edwards Jr.: Sunshine Law does not impair or slow down effective government …
*Naples Daily News, Julio Ochoa: Florida Gulf Coast University puts names on ballots but admits no wrongdoing (*free registration required) …
Fort Myers News-Press: News-press to receive addresses of disaster aid applicants and recipients on Monday…
Florida Times-Union, by Bridget Murphy: Lawyer wants records sealed on the death of 12-year-old Tony Youmans …

August 24, 2007

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Tallahassee Democrat, by Bill Cotterell: State task force on open government to hears from public in Tallahassee …
Associated Press, by Brendan Farrington: Department of Children and Families wants more records opened, shared …
Associated Press: Open government panel begins series of hearings …
Palm Beach Post, by Dara Kam: New commission begins look at state open government laws …
*South Florida Sun-Sentinel, column by Earl Maucker: FEMA’s public records loss in court is a victory for the public …
*Florida Times-Union, by Beth Kormanik: Records requests by state attorney rain on city in Sunshine Law grand jury probe of City Council …
Fort Myers News-Press, by Melanie Payne: FEMA to release Florida disaster grant payment records to News-Press, Pensacola News-Journal and Florida Today …
*Naples Daily News, Julio Ochoa: Florida Gulf Coast University search committee says it didn’t violate Sunshine Law (*free registration required) …
*Naples Daily News, by Julio Ochoa: Florida Gulf Coast University presidential search committee changes procedures but admits no wrongdoing regarding Sunshine Law (*free registration required) …
Fort Myers News-Press, by Dave Breitenstein: Dinners put Florida Gulf Coast University presidential search committee members in hot water …
Fort Myers News-Press editorial:Ask state attorney general for opinion on whether Florida Gulf Coast University presidential search committee violated the Sunshine Law …
*Naples Daily News, by Katherine Lewis:State ethics panel can’t probe Collier County School Board for Sunshine Law problems …

August 20, 2007

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St. Petersburg Times, by Sandee Davies: Court clerks must take steps to protect sensitive information as part of public records filings …
Tallahassee Democrat, by Jim Ash: Lawmaker seeks release of state bridge inspection reports …
Florida Today, by Susanne Cervenka: Court records released in Titusville teacher sex case …
Panama City News Herald, by Tom McLaughlin: Lawmakers and open government advocate question state Department of Transportation Decision to keep bridge inspection reports from the public …
*Naples Daily News, Liam Dillon: Union organizers accuse Marco Island support staff of stalling on public records request (*free registration required) …
Florida Times-Union editorial: Florida consumers, parents benefit from new Web offerings …

August 13, 2007

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Tallahassee Democrat, by Stephen D. Price: House Speaker Rubio forms committee to combat identity theft …
Florida Times-Union, by J. Taylor Rushing: St. Augustine lawmaker Proctor to lead new ID theft panel …

August 12, 2007

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*Orlando Sentinel, by Rebecca Mahoney: Volusia County’s steep charges for e-mail are illegal, critics say (*free registration required) …
*Orlando Sentinel editorial: Volusia County should stop soaking the public to see officials’ e-mails (*free registration required)…
Pensacola News-Journal editorial: Don’t restrict access to public records under guise of protection …
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, column by Eric Ernst: Commission on Open Government offers hope in the fight to open records …
*Naples Daily News staff report: Collier County School Board member calls for for Sunshine Law probe (*free registration required) …
*Naples Daily News, by Katherine Lewis: Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce joins 15 other organizations in backing review on whether school board members violated ethics and Sunshine Law when firing Superintendent Ray Baker (*free registration required) …
*Naples Daily News, by Phil Lewis: Collier School Board Sunshine Law controversy is a reminder of importance in following both the letter and spirit of the law (*free registration required) …
Fort Myers News-Press, by Melanie Payne: FEMA to release Florida disaster grant payment records to News-Press, Pensacola News-Journal and Florida Today …
Associated Press: FEMA to release records to four newspapers …
Lakeland Ledger:Sunshine Law seminars coming for Tallahassee, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale in October …

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