For use Sunday, March 15

The more openness in government, the better

A century ago, a Gadsden County state Rep. J.W. Mahaffey led the charge to Florida’s first open government law, the public records law.

It was cutting edge requiring that “all state, county and municipal records shall at all times be open for a personal inspection of any citizen of Florida and those in charge of such records shall not refuse this privilege to any citizen.”

Violators were subject to removal from office or impeachment. The bill became law without opposition on June 1, 1909. Surprisingly, it received little attention from the press, according to the Florida First Amendment Foundation.

What a time those public officials must have had handling requests without a copier machine.

Today is Sunshine Sunday, an initiative of the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors since 2002 and now a national effort by the American Society of Newspaper Editors called Sunshine Week to inform the public of their rights of access to government and to enlist their support to keep the access open.

Florida’s public records law, Government in the Sunshine Law (open meetings) and Article 1, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution guarantee access. Lawmakers make many attacks on Florida’s open government laws annually. Some pass, most fail.

Among good bills filed this year is The Florida Budget Openness Act. Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Brandon, and state Rep. Dorothy L. Hukill, R-Port Orange, have taken a giant leap in their respective bills, SB1972 and HB1421. Both require the state’s Department of Financial Services to create one Web site by July 1, 2010 where the public can access spending and revenue records of governments throughout the state. Financial activity of every public agency in Florida, including local and state governments, school boards, colleges, universities, courts, etc. , could be accessed 24/7 from personal and office computers.

Government watch dogs would never sleep. Home printers would run out of ink and paper frequently. Emails would be non-stop. The public would be the best informed ever about their tax dollars.

The preamble to Storms’ bill says, “shining a light on government spending and bringing openness into state and local government spending will lead to greater accountability for the taxpayers of this state.” Passage of The Florida Budget Openness Act is a fitting way to emphasize accountability and to celebrate 100 years of public records access.

Reproduced courtesy of The St. Augustine Record.
Back to top | Return to Sunshine Sunday 2009