Florida

November 21, 2008: TaMaryn Waters walked into the Jefferson County School District offices with a simple request: She wanted a copy of the most recent e-mail the superintendent sent school board members about the district budget.

But it wasn't so simple. What she found was a staff that was confused and suspicious and a superintendent who didn't understand public record laws. Waters never told them who she was, but a week later the superintendent's secretary called her and admitted the staff tracked her down by running her license plate number. Read the full article here.

Statewide public records audit results
November 19, 2008: A statewide public records audit conducted last month showed similar results as in previous years with 43 percent of agencies reviewed failing to properly turn over emails written by their top administrators. Auditors, who did not say they were associated with the media, requested records at 163 county agencies in 56 of the state's 67 counties. Read the full article here.

Less court access? Objection
November 17, 2008: Don't believe your ears.

That's essentially what a committee of Florida judges is asking the State Supreme Court to tell the public about recordings of court proceedings - that an actual court recording is not an official one. Therefore, it's not a public record. It's a notion the court should reject. If the high court agrees with the Commission on Trial Court Performance and Accountability, it will be a giant step backward for public access. And it could take a big bite out of the wallets of citizens seeking court records. Read the full column here.

Transparency & Government

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• Ten point checklist for statewide organizations
• Florida Transparency Advocacy Groups
• Florida government corruption
• Florida Transparency Legislation

School Districts

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• Florida Department of Education
• Florida School Spending

FOIA Laws

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