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The Cape Coral Daily Breeze

"The right of freely examining public characters and measures has ever been justly deemed the only effective guardian of every other right."

— James Madison, author of the Bill of Rights

As residents of the Sunshine State, Cape residents enjoy more than weather second to none. Florida has some of the strongest open meeting and open records laws in the nation.

Florida’s “Government-in-the-Sunshine” laws guarantee access to almost all meetings of public boards and nearly all records gathered by government agencies conducting the public’s business.

We all benefit.

Our Sunshine Laws assure us the right to attend all meetings at which city council members discuss taxes, utility rates and zoning issues. Our elected officials are precluded, by law, of even discussing these matters “out of the sunshine,” that is at a meeting not properly noticed and open to anyone who wants to attend.

Our Sunshine laws guarantee us the right to inspect all memos, letters, e-mails and reports sent to or by our public officials and that inspection is available at the asking.

These “open government” laws are intended to prevent back-door deals, political shenanigans and profiteering. Our Sunshine laws assure that the public’s business is public, every step of the way.

Sunday is “Sunshine Sunday,” the day newspapers across the state highlight

Florida’s Sunshine laws. For the last four years, since Sunshine Sunday’s inception, it also has been the weekend The Breeze reaffirms its commitment to open government and open records.

Let the sun shine in.

— Breeze editorial

 


Reproduced courtesy of The Cape Coral Daily Breeze.
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