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Orlando Sentinel When it comes to open government, Floridians are fortunate. They enjoy a constitutional right to obtain government records and attend government meetings. This right puts them in a better position than citizens in most other states to hold accountable the officials they elect and the government they pay for with their tax dollars. It also lets Floridians make use of a wide range of valuable health, safety and consumer information gathered at their expense. Yet during each legislative session in Tallahassee, some lawmakers try to carve out exceptions to this right. This year, more than 30 proposals would close government records or meetings. They could win approval unless other lawmakers - prodded by ordinary Floridians - stand in the way. For the fourth year in a row, the Orlando Sentinel is joining other Florida newspapers in marking Sunshine Sunday. It's a day to remind both lawmakers and their constituents of the importance of government in the sunshine, and the imperative of defending the public's right to know. By a wide margin, Floridians voted in 1992 to add their right of access to government records and meetings to the state constitution. That amendment allows for exceptions if they are narrowly tailored and meet a "public necessity." Lawmakers occasionally have met these conditions with limited exceptions for legitimate purposes, such as concealing anti-terrorism plans or deterring identity theft. But more often, they have sought overly broad exceptions that serve special interests instead of the public interest. Among this year's worst proposals are ones that would hide business conducted by research institutions that receive state funding, conceal possible misconduct by law-enforcement agencies, and cover up information about absentee ballots. Passage of these measures could keep citizens in the dark about waste, mismanagement or corruption. Another proposal, while not technically an exception, would undercut a constitutional amendment approved by 81 percent ot state voters last year. That amendment ensures public access to reports of medical mistakes. But the proposal would create a daunting set of hurdles to discourage the release of those reports. Access to government records and meetings is an essential tool for journalists in their mission of informing the public. In the past year, Sentinel reporters used government records to identify the deadliest Central Florida roads, report on toxic pollution in Orlando and detail poor training and pay for substitute teachers. But the right to know isn't just valuable for reporters. Any Floridian can use government records to find out about the safety of their neighborhood, the quality of their local schools, the disciplinary records of doctors, and lots of other vital information. It's odd that lawmakers would want to limit the public's right to know. Openness instills public confidence in government. It subjects proposals to scrutiny that leads to better decisions. But secrecy breeds suspicion. And decisions made behind closed doors are more likely to be flawed. Open government is better government - for lawmakers, and for all Floridians.
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of the Orlando Sentinel. |
