Florida's Papers Mark 'Sunshine Sunday'

By: Brent Kallestad, Associated Press Writer (AP) Florida's daily newspapers published articles and editorials Sunday reminding readers of the state's strong public records laws at a time lawmakers are proposing an increasing number of exemptions to the measures.

Spearheaded by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors and the Tallahassee-based First Amendment Foundation, 36 papers participated in the "Sunshine Sunday" initiative, which began last year to stress the importance of maintaining open government.

"Government is made better by exposure to the people it serves, and each year, as some legislator tries to dim that view, the question must be asked: What are you trying to hide?" the St. Petersburg Times asked in an editorial Sunday.

Broadcasters also were enlisted in the effort, with a 30-second public service announcement recorded by Miami Herald columnist and author Carl Hiaasen.

The initiative comes at a time when lawmakers are seeking to tighten access to public records as security is strengthened following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"It's understandable the government would want to protect its citizens and we're fully supportive of that," said Orlando Sentinel Editor Tim Franklin, who helped coordinate the project. "But at the same time you don't want to completely eliminate what makes this country special, which is access to its government."

The Miami Herald said in an editorial Sunday: "Florida's Sunshine Law for promoting open government is among the strongest in the nation -- and the public must insist that the Legislature keep it that way. Why? Because special interests and post-9/11 security concerns are fueling attempts to limit access to official meetings and records."

Florida voters made it harder for the Legislature to grant exemptions to Florida's open-meetings and public-records laws last fall, overwhelmingly ratifying a constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds majority of each house to approve new exemptions.

"That was a pretty clear message from the public," Franklin said. "The citizens here are used to having access to their politicians and to their government and they should continue to want that."

"Unfortunately, official contempt for the public's will in regard to open government is very much alive and well in Tallahassee," said The Gainesville Sun.

Barbara Petersen, president of the First Amendment Foundation, said lawmakers this session already have filed more than two dozen bills seeking new exemptions to the state's open records and meetings laws.

Few are related to security, despite the fears of terrorism activity and the prospects of war in Iraq, Petersen said.

Some of the bills proposed this session would prevent the public from seeing reports about mistakes pharmacists make until 10 days after a determination there was a mistake, reports of catastrophic mistakes made by doctors, photographs of any part of the body of a sexual offense victim, and customer information for public utilities.

The FSNE picked Sunday for the editorials because it was the day before the birthday of James Madison, the "Father of the Constitution" and an ardent supporter of the First Amendment provision providing freedom of the press.