From News-Press:
Open records are a given in Florida government, but sometimes public records aren't as "public" as some may think.
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Tag: Florida Sunshine Law
FSCJ will correct Sunshine Law violations that have occurred for over a decade
From The Florida Times Union:
Florida State College at Jacksonville’s board kept no minutes of workshops for more than a decade, a violation of state Sunshine law college leaders say they will now correct.
The school claimed audio recordings and handouts from meetings served the purpose but now concedes that written minutes should be produced.
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Florida A&M University will make hazing committee meet in public
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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Lakeland (Fl.) public records watchdog Joel Chandler honored
From TheLedger.com:
LAKELAND | Joel Chandler's success in taking on public agencies that balk at turning over documents deemed in the public domain has earned the Lakeland man the 2012 Local Hero Award of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
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Fla. open government advocates to focus on rights of speakers at public meetings
From The Republic:
ORLANDO, Fla. — Advocates of Florida's open government laws should focus on the rights of speakers to have their voices heard at public meetings and push to open up the state's process of making laws to further scrutiny, one of the state's top defenders of government transparency said Monday.
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Public Records Rules for Twitter, Facebook and Social Media
From Sun Sentinel:
Every time local-government officials in Florida use social media in their public position they are creating a public record, something they're required to keep and produce upon request. More Broward and Palm Beach county public officials are turning to social media to spread their message directly to digital "friends" and "followers."
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Florida Legislature to address open government improvements this year
From news-press.com:
Florida’s Legislature will undertake bills this year that will make it easier for individuals to speak at government meetings and define record-keeping for newly elected officials.
“All in all, it is not a bad session,” said Barbara Petersen, director of the First Amendment Foundation in Tallahassee.
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NFOIC’s FOI Friday for January 13, 2012
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Consultant suggests top Sarasota officials broke law
From Herald-Tribune:
SARASOTA – Computer forensic expert John Jorgensen met with Mayor Suzanne Atwell at 10:30 this morning to brief her about accusations that public records were erased from the computers of three high-ranking city employees.
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Florida governor names new public records director, replaces external affairs chief
From Tampa Bay Times:
Bonnie Hazelton, director of the Office of the Ombudsman and Public Services, will take over as director of Gov. Rick Scott's Office of Open Government, Scott's office announced today. Current director, Carolyn Timmann, is leaving to run for clerk of Martin County Court.
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