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Sarasota Herald-Tribune Today is Sunshine Sunday. It’s not the sort of occasion you’d typically associate with a greeting card, but the folks at Hallmark might want to look into the potential. Sunshine Sunday is an annual observance sponsored by Florida newspapers to call attention to the importance of open-government laws. This year, newspapers nationwide are joining the effort with a weeklong public awareness campaign. The goal of Sunshine Sunday and, now, Sunshine Week is to remind public officials — and voters — of the vital role these laws play in a healthy democracy. To a certain extent, we’re preaching to the choir. Floridians have repeatedly made it clear that they value state laws — some dating back as far as 1909 — that guarantee the public’s access to meetings and records. In 2002, Florida voters reaffirmed their interest in openness when they overwhelmingly approved a state constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote by the Legislature before any changes can be made to the state’s Sunshine Law and open-government act. The amendment seems to have reduced the Legislature’s urge to pull records and meetings from public view. But vigilance is still necessary. Every year, lawmakers pass a dozen or more exemptions. At the federal level, Americans have witnessed an even broader assault on openness. Although President Bush touts the value of “transparency” in public policy decisions, his administration has been among the worst in recent memory in adhering to the principles of open government. In the frightening days after the Sept. 11 attacks, the president and Congress moved quickly to shield numerous records. Some of the changes were justified, but it’s time to reassess those actions to ensure the public retains a firm grip on its right to know. This week, part of that reassessment will begin. On Tuesday, the Senate is scheduled to take up the first major bid since 1992 to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act. A bipartisan coalition has proposed a series of changes, including measures designed to speed up the release of information requested by the public and the media. Throughout the year, we try to call attention on the editorial page to proposals that may affect the public’s right to know. We’ll continue to do so as lawmakers meet in Tallahassee and Congress discusses the FOIA. Today and throughout the year, we ask you to join us — by phone, letter and e-mail — in extending special greetings to your lawmakers. Please tell them not to take your sunshine away.
Reproduced courtesy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. |
