The Florida Sunshine Review spotlights the latest news on Florida open government laws and freedom of information (FOI) issues, with special emphasis on open 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.

March 23, 2006

Tallahassee Democrat, by Bill Cotterell: Bill weakened to make government e-mail addresses off limits …
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, by Joe Follick: Lawmakers hesitant on bill to limit access to government e-mail addresses …
South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial: Margolis bill on government e-mail is cloudy thinking …

March 22, 2006

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Tallahassee Democrat, by Jim Ash: Open government advocates alarmed over lawmaker’s proposal to make private the e-mail addresses of public employees …
Daytona Beach News-Journal: E-mail bill would hinder access to government …
Tallahassee Democrat editorial: Just press “delete” on Margolis e-mail address bill …

March 19, 2006

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Fort Myers News-Press editorial: Open records threatened by bad bills …
Tallahassee Democrat, by Bill Cotterell: Cloudy days in the Sunshine State …
Tallahassee Democrat, by Bob Gabordi: Closed meeting in Tallahassee can’t be tolerated …
Tallahassee Democrat: Associated Press joins Tallahassee Democrat in protest of closed meeting …
*Orlando Sentinel, by Joe Newman: Open records searches reveal facts either buried or denied (*free registration required) …
Tallahassee Democtrat: Newspaper: Which records do you think should be public? …
Baker County Standard, guest column by Circuit Court Clerk Al Fraser: Privacy laws and the impact on public records …
*Orlando Sentinel, guest column by Orange County Comptroller Martha Haynie: Clerks’ proposal on records would not limit public access (*free registration required) …
Sarasota Herald Tribune, by Joe Follick: Senator has beef with state over posting of restaurant inspection details …
Pensacola News-Journal, by Angela Fail: Agencies fail on public records requests …
Tallahassee Democrat, by Bill Cotterell: Convergys and the Department of Management Services admit some state personnel data did go to India …
*Florida Times-Union editorial: Cloudy skies loom with public records bills in Legislature (*free registration required) …
Tallahassee Democrat, by Jim Ash: Associated Press chief defends press freedoms …
*Florida Times-Union editorial: Access to public records can mean more to your personal life than you think (*free registration required) …
*Florida Times-Union editorial: Public records can make a difference in personal safety (*free registration required) …

March 15, 2006

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Tallahassee Democrat: Reporters and camerman threatened with arrest after trying to enter a meeting involving Leon County Commission Chairman Bill Proctor, Florida Secretary of State Sue Cobb and Supervisor of Elections Ion Sancho. …
Associated Press, by Brent Kallestad: State bars county commissioner, reporters from elections meeting …

Sunshine Sunday, March 12, 2006

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Sunshine Sunday is an annual focus by Florida newspapers and other media on the value of open government. Since it began in Florida, the effort has gone national and expanded to “Sunshine Week.” Aside from sample stories posted here, read more articles and see cartoons through the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors’ Web site …
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, by Chris Davis and Matthew Doig: Government fails the access test in Florida based on audit by newspapers …
Sarasota Herald-Tribune: How the statewide audit was done …
St. Petersburg Times editorial: This is a day to recognize the value of transparency in government …
Tallahassee Democrat editorial: The public right to know is more important than ever in democracy …
The Associated Press, by Robert Tanner: States have reduced access to public records since the 2001 terrorist attacks …
Tampa Tribune editorial: State lawmakers’ seek to curb some access to public information …
Palm Beach Post, by Bob King: Palm Beach County government fares better in this year’s public records audit …
Palm Beach Post, by Rebecca Carr: Access to federal records still being granted haltingly …
*Orlando Sentinel, by Jim Stratton: Obtaining public records comes with hurdles despite open government laws (*free registration required) …
Miami Herald editorial: Fight lawmaker efforts to curb public records access …
Miami Herald: Excerpts from some of the most troubling public records bills being considered by state lawsmakers …
*Orlando Sentinel editorial: Lawmakers should end assault on Florida’s public records laws (*free registration required) …
The Associated Press: New polls show Americans worried that government secrecy goes too far …
Florida Times-Union: Results of records requests in Jacksonville …
Florida Times-Union editorial: Public officials need more training on open government laws …
Daytona Beach News-Journal, by Denise O’Tool: Results of public records audit in Volusia and Flagler counties …

March 11, 2006

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The Associated Press, by Brendan Farrington: Florida treads cautiously before taking away access to public records …
The Tampa Tribune, by Michael Fechter: Proposed Sunshine Law limitations again spur debate in the annual legislative session …
Palm Beach Post, by Dara Kam: Scripps deal shows secrecy flaw in view of Senate leader …
Fort Myers News-Press, by Dave Breitenstein: Public records request for financial data splits school board …
*Stuart News editorial: Proposed state legislation would make it harder to float lawsuits that punish free speech (*free registration required)…
*Orlando Sentinel editorial: Silencing county staff only adds to suspicions regarding Mayor Rich Crotty's lucrative business deal with a prominent real-estate broker (*free registration required) …
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, by Paula McMahon and Shannon O’Boye: Broward County sheriff’s inquiry limits blame in crime statistics scandal …
Associated Press, by Ron Word: Florida and Georgia police to share more information …
Ocala Star-Banner editorial: Openness and transparency are the cure for Munroe Regional Medical Center’s ills …

March 6, 2006

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*The Florida Times-Union, by Mary Kelli Palka: Jacksonville Mayor’s Office pulls e-mails off the Internet in favor of a viewing terminal at City Hall (*free registration required)…
*The Florida Times-Union, by columnist Ron Littlepage: Jacksonville Mayor’s Office takes wrong turn in lessening access to city e-mails (*free registration required)…
Ocala Star-Banner, by Ryan Conley: Court clerks face issues meeting state redaction demands …
Ocala Star-Banner, by Ryan Conley: Paperwork piles up in Marion County clerk’s office …

March 2, 2006

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Associated Press, by Bill Kaczor: Clerks and media want more court records online …
Palm Beach Post, by Dara Kam: Florida clerks of court want shift in burden of confidentiality …
Bradenton Herald, by Stephen Majors: Carlie ruling results in bill to close some public records …
Tallahassee Democrat, by Jeff Burlew: Leon County commissioners’ e-mail swap may violate the Sunshine law…
*Naples Daily News editorial: Court records must remain open and available (*free registration required) …
*Orlando Sentinel editorial: Florida needs to fix law that doesn’t give true information its due (*free registration required) …
Lakeland Ledger editorial: Court misinterpretation of the law has put truthful reporting at a disadvantage …
*Orlando Sentinel: Will that be paper or cyber? Both please (*free registration required) …
High Springs Herald editorial: Legislation would make it harder for plaintiffs to bring invasion of privacy lawsuits that punish free speech …
Miami Herald, by Fred Grimm: Big Brother shows his good side in court with surveillance tapes …
*Orlando Sentinel, by John Kennedy and Jason Garcia: Legislators may go even farther as autopsy-photo clause expires (*free registration required) …
Fort Myers News-Press, by Michelle L. Start: Medical records are coming online in Florida under tight security …