From The Daytona Beach News Journal: Today’s column is about why it’s important for government to operate in the sunshine.
But before I become philosophical, let me get right to the main point: Consider this my personal invitation to you to attend the 2013 Sunshine Seminar on Wednesday, Oct. 23, hosted by Daytona State College.
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Read More… from An invitation to learn about Florida’s sunshine laws
From Student Press Law Center: FLORIDA — A Florida representative has reintroduced a bill that, if enacted, would exempt public colleges from having to disclose the names of executive candidates.
Meetings where officials discuss identifying information of presidential, provost or dean candidates would also be exempt from the state’s open meetings act. Public colleges would be required to release the names of finalists at least 21 days before officials meet publicly to make a final selection. If passed, it would take effect Oct. 1, 2014.
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Read More… from Florida legislature considering bill that would close presidential searches
From NFOIC: 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. While you're at it, be sure to check out State FOIA Friday Archives.
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Read More… from NFOIC’s State FOIA Friday for October 11, 2013
From Florida First Amendment Foundation: In this issue —
Petersen appointed to user experience task force
State Senate President Don Gaetz (R-Niceville) recently appointed FAF President Barbara Petersen to a special legislative panel assigned to improve online access to financial records and contracts. The User Experience Task Force will evaluate ways to make data more accessible to the public by consolidating existing state operational and fiscal information websites into a single website . . .
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From Highlands Today: AVON PARK, FL. – Avon Park City Manager Julian Deleon believes the time to wait is over in his recommendation to file a lawsuit in connection with his public records request of police pension plan officials.
In a Sept. 18 letter to the City Council, Deleon said it has been more than seven weeks since a public records request was initiated from police pension board administrator Carol Knapp and board chairman Greg Warner.
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From The Blaze: A group in a municipal office in Hialeah, Florida, making a request for public records was detained by police because employees felt “we had ‘invaded’ the city clerk’s office and ‘attacked’ them with our cameras, putting them ‘under threat’ and causing them to feel ‘intimidated,’” Carlos Miller from Photography Is Not a Crime wrote on his blog.
In a separate incident the next day, a man making a request for records in Miami claims he was threatened with arrest.
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From ActionNewsJax.com: JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Circuit Court Judge Adrian Soud must decide whether to allow the release of what Jacksonville media argues should be public record and important to the coverage of a high-profile case. His decision could make United States history.
Soud sealed records of a police report regarding the alleged attack on a nine-year-old girl in a bathroom at the Southside Boulevard Best Buy last month. A portion of a report included part of an alleged confession from the defendant, James Tadros.
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Read More… from Public records sealed in Best Buy assault case
From Tallahassee Democrat: The Tallahassee Police Department scrubbed police reports of information — some of which it might be required by law to release — before handing them over to a Tallahassee Democrat reporter, but didn’t heavily redact the same reports when giving them to others.
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Read More… from Disclosure divide: TPD releases different versions of police reports
From The Florida Senate: Senate President Don Gaetz (R-Niceville) today announced the appointment of Barbara A. Petersen, President of Florida’s First Amendment Foundation, to a legislative panel that will evaluate and recommend how to provide better public access to state financial records and contracts.
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Read More… from First Amendment expert named to Florida legislative panel on transparency
From The Florida Current: Old friends, students and political admirers of former Gov. Reubin Askew gathered at Florida's historic Old Capitol Monday for a warm tribute to his more than 60 years of work to improve the civil rights, ethics and open government climate of the state capital.<
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Read More… from Former Florida governor honored for his service
