The term Sunshine State has also come to describe a state government that is open and accessible to all citizens, most clearly expressed in our state’s open government laws.
But a profound and dangerous darkness has overtaken every corner of state government and most especially in Tallahassee.
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Read More… from Opinion: Citizens must support open government
Governor Rick Scott is getting pressure from media organizations and open-government advocates who filed a lawsuit over the ouster of Florida’s top cop.
The lawsuit alleges the handling of the forced resignation of the state’s top law-enforcement officer violated the Sunshine Law and is calling for an independent investigation.
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Read More… from Media, Open-Government Groups Seek Answers On Bailey Ouster
The Missouri Municipal League and the State Attorney General's Office have joined forces to educate city officials on the Sunshine Law.
The Freedom of Information Laws, better known as the Sunshine Law, allow the general public to have access to data held by government entities. That means, that by law, meetings, records, votes, action and deliberations of public governmental bodies are to be open to the public.
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In Florida we pride ourselves on our policy of government in the sunshine. We expect all aspects of lawmaking and enforcement to be transparent so voters can see and participate in our democratic process and have access to relevant information to hold elected officials accountable.
Most governors have honored this commitment to open government and have tried to follow the spirit of the law.
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Read More… from Editorial: a cloud over Florida’s Sunshine Laws
Too many public entities are violating Missouriís open-government laws by meeting in closed sessions without giving a good reason or by discussing things behind closed doors that they shouldnít be, the state auditor said Tuesday.
Auditor Tom Schweich said about 15 percent of the nearly 300 audits he conducted over the previous two years found some sort of violation of Missouri's open-meetings-and-records laws. Thatís an improvement from the 19 percent problem rate for Sunshine law compliance during audits conducted in 2010 and 2011, he said.
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Read More… from Missouri auditor: Local goverments have too many closed meetings
From toledoBlade.com:
WAUSEON — Sunshine Review, a national nonprofit group that aims to encourage state and local government transparency, has given Fulton County an A+.
The county previously scored a ‘C’ in that area and even was found to have violated Ohio’s Sunshine Law, written to ensure citizens know when officials plan to hold meetings and make decisions.
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Read More… from Fulton County commended for data availability
A few state FOIA and local open government news items selected from many of interest that we might or might not have drawn attention to earlier in the week:
Georgia's new open budget law has low compliance
ATLANTA — About half the cities, counties and school districts have yet to comply with a state law designed to make it easier for taxpayers to see how their money is being spent.
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From OnlineAthens:
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida A&M University trustees voted on Friday to change the mission once again of the school's anti-hazing committee and force it to meet publicly.
The 8-2 vote came after Gov. Rick Scott and others had criticized school officials for initially deciding earlier this month to allow the committee to sidestep Florida's "sunshine law."
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Read More… from Florida A&M University will make hazing committee meet in public
From BND.com:
Central School District spent a little over $400 in a failed attempt to refuse a Freedom of Information Act request asking to review the district’s legal invoices.
The district paid its attorney Garrett Hoerner $402.50 for legal services related to the rejection of the FOIA request and later defense of the rejection during an investigation from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.
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Read More… from Illinois Central School District spends $400 in FOIA fight with newspaper
