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The Jacksonville Florida Times-Union
Editorial cartoon by Ed Gamble
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Government's business is the people's business.
The principle has been part of Florida law since 1909 when the first open government laws appeared. State voters bolstered the concept in 1992 when they approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing public access to meetings and records in the judicial, legislative and executive branches unless that access is restricted by law.
The Legislature can create exemptions to the state's sunshine laws, and state lawmakers have been proposing record numbers of them in recent years. Sometimes those proposals are justified; most are not.
Today, the Times-Union joins newspapers throughout Florida in recognizing the importance of open government as part of Sunshine Sunday, an effort coordinated by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors.
Access to public meetings and to public records can help keep the decisions and actions of government accountable. People have a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent and how well public resources are managed.
Voters approved a constitutional amendment last year that requires a two-thirds vote of lawmakers to create new Government-in-the-Sunshine Law exemptions. Presumably, any exemption meeting that tough standard will be necessary to balance the right to know against the private sector's right to privacy, which also is important.
Lawmakers have proposed more than 30 new exemptions, which includes 13 shell bills that can be unveiled at the last minute to avoid the chance of public scrutiny or discussion.
The public should watch the proposals carefully to ensure proper balance.