Sunshine laws benefit us

By Tom Gallagher

Many of us have never lived without electricity. We flip a switch to light the dinner table or read a good book at night, but don’t give much thought to the role it plays in our life. It is only when electricity fails, and the lights go off, that we fully realize just how bad it is to live in the dark.

The same holds true for open government. Thankfully, we live in a state that guarantees the public’s access to open government, and requires elected officials to make decisions and carry out their responsibilities in the light of our Sunshine laws. As a result, most of us do not know what it is like to live in the darkness of a government that operates behind closed doors.

Since my earliest days in public office I have been an advocate of Sunshine laws and financial disclosure for public officials. Having been given the opportunity to serve Floridians for more than 30 years as an elected or appointed government official, I have a unique perspective. As one of the few Republicans serving in the Florida House I was in the minority - and I was in the dark. Back then, Republicans had to work twice as hard to get information and access that was freely shared among members of the Democrat majority.

My early experiences as a state lawmaker taught me the value of our state’s Sunshine laws and how important it is to protect the public’s right to access records and meetings of government. Elected officials at every level of government make policy decisions that affect the schools our children attend, the safety of our communities, the roads we drive for business and leisure and the quality of life of every Floridian. By requiring elected representatives to deliberate on these issues in the open we ensure Floridians have an ear and a voice in the process.

My experiences in public office and private life have also led me to understand the need to protect sensitive information, especially in ongoing criminal investigations and out of respect for individual privacy rights

As the state’s Chief Financial Officer, I oversee both criminal and administrative agencies that investigate insurance fraud and misuse of public funds. By law, records regarding ongoing investigations are confidential. Journalists and concerned citizens may complain, but confidentiality during ongoing investigations is critical to an investigator’s job of determining criminal responsibility.

And while our Sunshine laws are an effective tool for ensuring openness in government, transparency should never come at the expense of invading an individual’s privacy. If government chooses to retain sensitive personal information, it has the responsibility to protect the rights of the individuals involved. Autopsy photos of loved ones are a good example of a situation where personal dignity, and respect for privacy, must outweigh any perceived public interest. In this respect our Sunshine laws should strike the proper chord between openness and responsibility.

Our country was founded on basic freedoms - freedom of speech, freedom of information and freedom to participate in government, and I believe that the concerned parent who attends a school board meeting, the frustrated citizen who attends a town hall meeting, and even the curious reporter who covers government in action, confirm the benefit of open government and the importance of Florida’s Sunshine Laws.

Just like electricity to a bulb, Sunshine Laws deliver us from the darkness and keep Floridians basking in the warm light of democracy.

Tom Gallagher is Florida’s Chief Financial Officer and a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor.

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