Many Web links are born to die. Even if that should happen with those below, this list can still be of value.

Use it to help locate important stories about freedom of information in Florida and sometimes elsewhere. Obtain the story through the archives or back issues of the news organization involved, try the headline or keywords in a search engine for another link, or use Lexis-Nexis or other databases that might be available to you or through your local library.

May 28, 2004

Palm Beach Post, by Jim Ash: 47,000 suspected felons perplex election officials …
Local6.com, Central Florida: Group’s Web page compares state, federal school rankings …
WFTV Channel 9, Orlando: Hundreds of medical records found tossed outside office …
Local6.com, Central Florida: Boxes of medical records found in dumpster in Seminole County …
*Orlando Sentinel, by staff: Credit card thefts lead to man’s arrest (*free registration required) …

May 27, 2004

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Orlando Business Journal, by Jill Krueger: Bush signs legislation to protect privacy of teachers, public employees …
Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida House Democrats gain open-government award from First Amendment Foundation …
*Miami Herald, by Gary Fineout: New law ends secrecy on campaign donors to political committees operated by lawmakers or special-interest groups (*free registration required) …
Palm Beach Post, by Jim Ash: Group wants felon voter list made public …
Ocala Star Banner, by Bill Thompson: Library board debate continues in Marion County …
St. Petersburg Times: Decision delayed in suit over parkway meetings …

May 26, 2004

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Leesburg Daily Commercial, by Jacob Ogles: Official purging felons from voter rolls but list of names being kept from public …
*Miami Herald, column by Jim Defede: MATRIX terrorist list can turn into terrifying ordeal (*free registration required) …
*Miami Herald: Bush signs bills targeting spam, offensive names (*free registration required) …

May 25, 2004

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South Florida Sun-Sentinel, by Bob Mahlburg: First Amendment advocates could file suit if Florida election officials do not release the names of almost 50,000 possible felons who could be stripped from voter rolls …
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, by Margaret Ann Miile: No gag order in civil suits over Dangl surgeries …
Tallahassee Democrat, by Nancy Cook Lauer: A federal judge dismisses a lawsuit seeking paper trails for all touch-screen voting machines in the state …
Associated Press: Bill requires checking of sex offenders …

May 24, 2004

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The Tampa Tribune, by Garrett Therolf: House Speaker Byrd besieged by e-mail at legislative session’s end …
Associated Press: Byrd’s staff releases end-of-session e-mail …
*Miami Herald, by Casey Woods: False records charge spurs police training in North Bay Village (*free registration required) …
*Orlando Sentinel, by Robert Perez: The Florida Democratic Party seeks all public records relating to how the state Division of Elections developed its list of nearly 50,000 "potential felons" … (*free registration required) …
Fort Myers News-Press, by Mike Hoyem: Judge denies request on sheriff’s records …
WKMG TV 6, Central Florida: Program could put medical records in criminal hands …
Ocala Star Banner, by Bill Thompson: Big increase in court fees coming July 1 …
Florida Times-Union, by Dan MacDonald: Controlling outbursts at high school graduations is a tough task …
Fort Myers News-Press, by Anne Mitchell: Electronic tags bug privacy advocates …

May 21, 2004

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*Miami Herald, by Mary Ellen Klaus: Move to save blank ballots of the 2000 presidential election fails, snagging efforts to preserve them for historians, scholars and journalists (*free registration required) …
Daytona Beach News-Journal, by Lyda Longa: Lawsuit claims Daytona Beach failed to abide by the state’s public records law …
Tampa Tribune, by Mark Holan: The National Marine Fisheries Service has refused to release documents to The Tampa Tribune related to its shrimp business plan …
Reuters: Data-mining for terrorists sparks U.S. privacy fears …
St. Petersburg Times, by Carrie Johnson: St. Petersburg City Council decries Patriot Act …
*Miami Herald, by Tim Henderson: ACLU criticizes MATRIX database that identifies potential terrorists (*free registration required) …
The Register (London, England), by John Lettice: “Spot the terrorist” system was pitched to Cheney by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush …
ABC 7, Fort Myers: Lee County man charged with stealing his dead brother’s identity …
Palatka Daily News, by Jennifer Thomas: Putnum County schools settle a defamation claim against a school board member …

May 20, 2004

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Naples Daily News editorial: The conduct of the Naples Art Association in policymaking illustrates the importance of open-government laws that require meetings and official records open to the public. …
WCJB TV News, Gainesville, by Tera Williams: UF journalism dean charges thousands for public records …
WESH.com, Orlando: Identity thieves take aim at gas pumps …

May 19, 2004

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Tallahassee Democrat, by Nancy Cook Lauer: An usual veil of secrecy makes it hard to know who is on the list of more than 47,000 suspected felons eligible to be purged from voter rolls …
St. Petersburg Times, by Matthew Waite: Officials wary of purging felons from voter registration rolls …
WCJB TV 20, Gainesville, by Mike Price: Controversial book may lead to stripping of library board’s power in Marion County …
Naples Daily News, by Larry Hannan: Judge blocks county from taking depositions from city officials …

May 18, 2004

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Associated Press: First Amendment Foundation asks Bush to veto three bills creating new public records exemptions …
Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial: Limit and verify government's data-grabbing projects …
Worldlink.com, by Dan Schrieber: Proving your identity is becoming increasingly difficult …
Tampa Tribune, by Jennifer Barrs: Several same-sex couples tried to apply for marriage licenses at the Hillsborough County clerk of court's office and were politely refused …
Florida Times-Union, by Paul Pinkham: New Jacksonville federal courthouse will carry late judge’s name …
*Gainesville Sun, by Janine Young Sikes: Elected officials’ grades are on the Web (*free registration required) …

May 17, 2004

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St. Petersburg Times, by Steve Bousquet: House Speaker Johnnie Byrd vows to retrieve scores of e-mails from his office deleted by staff …
St. Petersburg Times, by Justin George: Etna residents say state should not shut the public out of meetings where federal, state and local officials discuss a possible parkway extension through Citrus County …
Associated Press: A husband and wife, both Orlando police officers, are suing the Department of Children & Families because the state agency lists the man as a child abuser …
Fort Myers News-Press, by Lee Melsek: Browder alters builder lists, raising Sunshine Law issues …
Fort Myers News-Press, by Lee Melsek: Secrecy surrounds Lee County School District’s decisions on construction projects …
St. Petersburg Times, column by Lucy Morgan: His peers, not media, put “worst” tag on Byrd …
Fort Myers News-Press, by Ryan Hiraki: Bonita Springs mayor to ask ethics commission about whether vote on a city development posed a conflict of interest …
Tallahassee Democrat, by Bill Cotterell: New law to expose donors behind political ads …

May 15, 2004

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St. Petersburg Times, by Steve Bousquet and Lucy Morgan: The Attorney General's Office is looking into whether e-mails deleted by an aide to Speaker Johnnie Byrd qualify as public records …
St. Petersburg Times editorial: Key archival communications were lost when the House speaker's chief of staff deleted all her e-mails, an action which may have violated state law …
Daytona Beach News-Journal, by staff: County declines offer to view sheriff’s records …
Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial: Flagler County sheriff displays pattern of skirting public records law …

May 14, 2004

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South Florida Sun-Sentinel, by Bob Mahlburg: New law protects data on drivers …
Associated Press: Personal information from a drivers' license must remain private unless the driver authorizes that it can be released under a bill Gov. Jeb Bush signed into law Thursday …
First Coast News, Jacksonville, by Cathleen O’Toole: Jacksonville victim advocacy group publishes newspaper with names and pictures of registered sex offenders …
Associated Press: Byrd's top aide deletes hundreds of e-mails …
Associated Press, by Jill Barton: Limbaugh attacks Palm Beach prosecutors, newspaper in ads …
South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Broward judge to be reprimanded for comments on company …
Naples Daily News, by Abhi Raghunathan: Lee Memorial Health System committee drafting closed-door policy …
Palm Beach Post, by Susan Spencer-Wendel: Limbaugh attacks prosecutor in ads …

May 13, 2004

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St. Petersburg Times, by Steve Bousquet: House Speaker Byrd's aide purged hundreds of messages in the final days of the legislative session, raising public records access issues …
Bradford County Telegraph, by Karen Lake: Heads up to voters regarding Keystone Heights policy changes on meetings …

May 12, 2004

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South Florida Sun-Sentinel, by staff: ACLU sues for access to girls prison papers it says should be a matter of public record …
Palm Beach Post editorial: Governor should veto bill on firearms records …
Associated Press: Manatee County School Board settles federal lawsuit over Christian prayer …
Sarasota Herald-Tribune editorial: The Manatee County School Board has done little to inspire public confidence in its commitment to fulfill a legal settlement stipulating the type of invocations it can use to open its meetings …

May 11, 2004

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*Miami Herald, by Lisa Arthur: Judge says prosecutors can subpoena middle-school murder defendant's records (*free registration required) …
WFTV.com, Channel 9, Orlando: Local cosmetic surgeon has felons working at office …

May 10, 2004

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Ocala Star Banner, by Bill Thompson: Controversy surrounds library workshop …
Tallahassee Democrat, by Nancy Cook Lauer: Privacy rights rigid in Florida …
Associated Press Database honcho: Shield should protect society …

May 7, 2004

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Lakeland Ledger, by Lloyd Dunkelberger: Florida lawmakers this year reached agreement on a near-record number of new exemptions to the state's open government laws ...
Daytona Beach News-Journal, by Mark I. Johnson: The State Attorney's Office is investigating allegations Oak Hill city officials violated Florida's public meetings law …

May 6, 2004

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Bradenton Herald, by Duane Marsteller: Manatee County Port Authority meets in violation of Sunshine Law regulations …
Daytona Beach News-Journal, by Nicole Service: Flagler County Commission sues the sheriff for access to public records on calendars and holiday greeting cards the sheriff sent to residents …
*Miami Herald, by Gary Fineout: State officials order local elections supervisors to begin purging voter rolls of felons who don't have the right to vote (*free registration required) …
Palm Beach Post, by Sarah Eisenhauer: Florida's attorney general says state law requires North Palm Beach Village officials to make public an anonymous letter alleging employee misconduct …
Florida Today, by Scott Blake: A judge ruled that Brevard County Commissioner Nancy Higgs doesn't have to disclose her company's contract with the county's lobbyist ...
*Orlando Sentinel editorial: Good reason for suspicion: The multiple phone calls before the Ocoee manager's firing are troubling (*free registration required) …

May 5, 2004

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Daytona Beach News-Journal, by Linda Walton: Oak Hill’s poll vote illegal, expert says …
Bradenton Herald editorial: Citizens' access to public records took a big hit in this year’s Legislature, with 14 new exemptions to the Sunshine Law approved …
Jupiter Courier, by Jennifer Brannock: State Attorney General’s Office looks into complaint about Jupiter Town Council retreat …
St. Petersburg Times, by Carrie Johnson: St. Pete City Council considers taking open forums at meetings off TV …
St. Petersburg Times, by David Ballingrud: Independent spirit Barnes stepping down as chairman of the St. Pete Times …
St. Petersburg Times, by Jean Heller: Tampa International will try out new devices that read fingerprints as part of a larger test of security methods …
Valley News Dispatch (Pennsylvania), by Rob Amen: A supporter of open records legislation in Pennsylvania says he doesn’t want his state to become another Florida when it comes to defining public records …

May 4, 2004

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*Orlando Sentinel editorial: Legislative wrapup: Worst year in memory for lawmakers eroding Floridians’ right to open government (*free registration required) …
The Tampa Tribune, by Brad Smith: Four Tampa parking department workers fired after e-mail investigation …

May 3, 2004

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Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial: Lawmakers stumble to a disgraceful close …
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, by columnist Buddy Nevins: Shadowy meeting should have been in the sunshine …
St. Petersburg Times, by Kelly Virella: Builder sues man for critical Web site …

May 1, 2004

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Lakeland Ledger, by Victor Hull: Lawmakers OK legislation to close public access to teachers' Social Security numbers as legislative session ends …
Palm Beach Post, by Sarah Eisenhauer: Jupiter councilwoman worried retreat violates Sunshine Law …