This story is part of the annual Sunshine Sunday package. For use Sunday, March 14, and thereafter

Sunshine Sunday box

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) _ Sunshine Week is a nonpartisan, national effort that spotlights the importance of a free flow of information and shines light on government attempts to work in the shadows.

Some details:

This year, Sunshine Week is being observed from March 14 through March 20. Many newspapers, broadcast outlets, Internet operations and other elements of the media will be reporting on government attempts to block the public's right to know _ and the steps taken to counter those moves.
At the same time, civic, academic and other non-media groups will be discussing their interests in making sure that access to government records is protected.
The initiative began eight years ago with Sunshine Sunday in Florida, organized by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors and the First Amendment Foundation. It came in response to legislative efforts to thwart open government through dozens of proposed exemptions to the state's Government in the Sunshine Law, one of the nation's strongest affirmations of the freedom of public information.
Sunshine Sunday swiftly spread to other states and eventually across the nation.
In 2005, supported by grants from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the American Society of Newspaper Editors expanded the concept and launched Sunshine Week.

More information, toolkits and a list of regional coordinators can be found at: www.sunshineweek.org

Sunshine Sunday 2010

Editorials

Cartoons

The Baker County Press by Ed Hall
Daytona Beach News-Journal by Bruce Beattie
The Florida Times-Union by Ed Gamble
Florida Today by Jeff Parker
The Villages Daily Sun by Bill Landis

Columns

Sunshine Week: A Celebration of the Public’s Right to Know By Charlie Crist, Governor, State of Florida
Sunshine History by Bill Cotterell, Tallahassee Democrat
Lawmakers Should Publicly Disclose Votes that Could Pad Their Wallets by Paula Dockery, State Senator
Crist faces final test this session to secure his open government legacy By Mary Ellen Klas, Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
The Sunshine Law Battles of a Man and his Dachshund By Fane Lozman, rbslime.com
Is it time, finally, for reform? By Barbara A. Petersen, First Amendment Foundation
Water and Sunshine By Diane Roberts, Author and Columnist

Stories

Joint bill would open budget process to the public By Martin Merzer, Associated Press Writer
Sunshine Sunday box a quick look at Sunshine Sunday
Proposed Sunshine bills in the 2010 Legislature
Champions and Chumps A selection of Legislators who have acted in the interest of Florida's Sunshine Laws or who have sponsored bills that are contrary to them.

Sunshine Week Essay Contest

Open to Florida high-school students in grades 9-12. The first-place winner will receive a $2,500 scholarship, second-place will receive a $1,500 scholarship, and third place will receive a $1,000 scholarship. The contest is supported through the Volunteer Florida Foundation. Winners will be invited to attend an event at the Governor’s Mansion. Congratulations to this year's contest winners and thanks to everyone who entered. >>More information
First Place essay
Freedom of the Press and the Sunshine Law: Knowledge and Power in Government By Emily Cochrane, 9th grade, Coral Reef Senior High, Miami
Second Place essay
First Amendment and Sunshine Laws By Melissa Phillips, 10th grade, Lakewood High School, St. Petersburg
Third Place essay
The People, the Press, and Grievances By Ronald Charles Johnston, Jr., 12th grade, Stanton College Preparatory School, Jacksonville

New Material for ASNE Sunshine Toolkit

New Sunshine Week 2010 toolkit material is now available for use!

You’ll find editorial cartoons, op-eds, calendar, logos and info graphics there. Just click on the tab for “Toolkits.”

New material will be posted daily. Later this week, we will post a nationwide poll on the public’s attitudes about FOIA.