We're hoping for 100 percent compliance, it's a very simple thing. It's the lack of information, and lack of understanding and education.
They weigh the issues, the competing interests, and make clear decisions on what might be a good bill and what might be a bad bill. They pay attention. Most of the bad bills do die.
The law is violated every day.
It is our firm belief that this shift in burden is offensive to over 100 years of public policy in Florida and raises serious constitutional issues.
We wanted to see that things had gotten better. The compliance was the same as it was.
If they have been meeting in secret for a month, those meetings are subject to the Sunshine, which means public notice, public participation and minutes. The documents are a public record. There is no doubt about that. Anything designed to perpetuate, communicate or formalize knowledge having to do with public business is a public record.
It shows a lack of respect for the public and their opportunity to see what is going on.
The constitution gives us a right of access to the entire deliberative process. And if part of that deliberative process - the arguing of a point between two members - is on paper, we have less opportunity for access and oversight.
It may not be a technical violation, but there's something called the spirit and intent of Florida's open records laws. I don't think voters approved the state's Sunshine laws thought it was OK for the governor and legislators to meet behind closed doors possibly to give away the store.
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