of Florida's Government in the Sunshine Laws.
BBV and others have filed FOIA requests in a number of counties in FL. They have been deliberately stonewalled in order to force these groups to miss crucial deadlines in order to be able to contest this election.
The State of FL has enacted very clear laws regarding the publics access to everything from documents to sitting in on government meetings.
At the State level Jeb Bush and Glenda Hood are no where to be found. It is up to them to insure that the laws of this state are fully complied with. Instead, they work behind the senses, doing everything they can to prevent the public from accessing any information regarding the election. This is a travesty.
Here is a brief overview of the FL Sunshine Laws. It is time that they start being enforced or we will have ourselves a constitutional crisis.
Florida's Government-in-the-Sunshine Law
To assist the public and governmental agencies in understanding the requirements and exemptions to Florida's open government laws, the Attorney General's Office compiles a comprehensive guide known as the Government-in-the-Sunshine manual. The manual is published each year at no taxpayer expense by the First Amendment Foundation in Tallahassee.
Florida is renowned for putting a high priority on the publics right of access to governmental meetings and records. In fact, the principles of open government are embodied not only in Florida statutes, but also guaranteed in the state Constitution.
Florida began its tradition of openness back in 1909 with the passage of what has come to be known as the "Public Records Law," Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes. This law provides that any records made or received by any public agency in the course of its official business are available for inspection, unless specifically exempted by the Legislature. Over the years, the definition of what constitutes "public records" has come to include not just traditional written documents such as papers, maps and books, but also tapes, photographs, film, sound recordings and records stored in computers.
It was in 1967 that Florida's Government-in-the-Sunshine Law was enacted. Today, the Sunshine Law can be found in Chapter 286 of the Florida Statutes. The Sunshine Law establishes a basic right of access to most meetings of boards, commissions and other governing bodies of state and local governmental agencies or authorities.
Throughout the history of Florida's open government, its courts have consistently supported the publics right of access to governmental meetings and records. As such, they also have been defining and redefining what a public record is and who is covered under the open meetings law. One area of public concern was whether or not the Legislature was covered under the open meetings requirements. To address that concerns, a Constitutional amendment was passed overwhelmingly by the voters in 1990 providing for open meetings in the legislative branch of government.
The Attorney General's Office has consistently sought to safeguard Florida's pioneering Government-in-the-Sunshine laws. Our attorneys have worked, both in the courtroom and out, to halt public records violations. In 1991, however, a Florida Supreme Court decision threatened the people's right to know. The questions raised by this decision made it clear that the best way to ensure the publics right of access to all three branches of government was to secure that right through the Florida Constitution. The Attorney General's Office then drafted a definitive constitutional amendment, the successful passage of which in 1992 not only guaranteed continued openness in the state's government, but also in effect reaffirmed the application of open government to the legislative branch and expanded it to the judiciary.
Florida voters have overwhelmingly showed their support for government in the sunshine at all levels of government. They have made it clear they believe that open government provides the best assurance of government that is responsive and responsible to the needs of the people.
http://myfloridalegal.com/pages.nsf/4492d797dc0bd92f85256cb80055fb97/b2f05db987e9d14c85256cc7000b28f6!OpenDocument
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