Securing public records in Florida can take cash, patience and lawyers – By Skylar Swisher (Sun-Sentinel) / March 14, 2024
As the state marks Sunshine Week, the atmosphere for open government is looking cloudy, First Amendment advocates said.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel and Orlando Sentinel recognize Sunshine Week March 10-16. This article is shared with news outlets across the state through the Florida Society of News Editors. FSNE started Sunshine Sunday in 2002 to inform Floridians of their rights to public records and issues surrounding access to them.
Getting public records in Florida increasingly takes waiting months, shelling out hundreds if not thousands of dollars, hiring a lawyer and in one recent case even having the police called.
As Florida marks Sunshine Week, the atmosphere for open government is looking cloudy, First Amendment advocates said.
“Public records aren’t broken in Florida, but they are certainly walking with a limp,” said Bobby Block, executive director of Florida’s First Amendment Foundation. “Every year, the number of exemptions keeps growing.”
