Sunshine Law

A nationwide review of procedures by The Associated Press and CNHI News revealed a patchwork of complicated systems for resolving open government disputes that often put the burden of enforcing transparency laws on private citizens.The review, timed to Sunshine Week, found that fewer than a third of states have offices that can resolve residents’ complaints by forcing agencies to turn over documents or comply with open meetings requirements.In most states, the only meaningful option for residents to resolve complaints about agencies wrongfully withholding public records is to file costly lawsuits.

Legislation is moving through the Florida legislature during the 2023 session that would enact an exemption to Florida's robust public records laws to hide details of travel by the governor and his immediate family, and numerous other government officials including the Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. It would also exempt visitor logs to the Governor’s mansion, and would apply retroactively, meaning details of past travel and visits also would be shielded. Critics say it’s the most aggressive assault on our public records protections ever.

Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman doesn’t want the public to know the identity of two deputies involved in the shooting of 65-year-old Jeremiah Evans and has gone to great lengths to keep their names, which are public information under Florida’s Public Records Act, a secret.

Two former Panama City Beach municipal clerks are suing the town after officials allegedly punished and dismissed them for providing public records.

U.S. Congressman Francis Rooney held a closed-door meeting with federal, state and local agencies and community leaders at Florida Gulf Coast University’s…

U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney announced late last month he’ll hold a roundtable discussion next week at the Emergent Technologies Institute at FGCU. The fact…

Open government advocates say they’ve dodged a bullet now that Governor Rick Scott has signed a compromise measure designed to squelch predatory public...

The Florida Board of Governors’ inspector general’s office says Florida Gulf Coast University violated state law on two separate occasions over the last…

Florida allows some of the easiest access to government records and meetings of any state in the country under the state's Sunshine Laws. People have a...

For the past several years, Florida’s public colleges and universities have sought to shield high-level position searches from the state’s sunshine law....