By Commissioner Fred Brummer
Political geeks, excuse me, political scientists must be in a quandary. It is an age where the most that people want from their government is to be left alone. Many people actively defend their rights under some constitutional or statutory provision, and some people lobby and campaign for expansion of their particular influence through government.
It is not the “Silent Majority,” President Nixon referred to in the late 1960’s. Second Amendment rights believers had a substantial impact on the 2000 Presidential election and since the September 11 horror, Fourth Amendment believers have become energized. On the other end of the spectrum the anti-Fourth Amendment supporters of national identity legislation are also coming out. Groups that identify with a particular issue are growing and becoming more active, and often, more effective.
Florida has a long history of efforts toward open government and open government records. While you may have difficulty picturing the intense discussion about open government over the fire at the hunting camp or even over the blisters at the racquetball club, open government is a right in Florida that makes it easier to defend your other rights and interests when dealing with government.
Florida’s open records laws began in 1909 which gives our state a long history of government in the Sunshine. By ‘Sunshine’ I mean open government and open records. While Florida also has had a long record government with moonshine, that is a topic for another day.
This may not seem like a big deal, but every day Government representatives make decisions that affect you, your property and your personal freedoms. In order for you to represent your interests to the best of your capacity, it is important to know what the government’s representatives are planning and doing.
The 1909 law simply stated that “State, county, and municipal records shall at all times be open for personal inspection.” That was the beginning. The next emphasis on open records did not arrive until 1967 when the legislature defined public records. The need for a definition seems strange; however, it is likely that the lack of a definition was used to prohibit access.
Also in 1967, the legislature enacted the first open meetings requirements. Prior to the implementation of open meetings or Sunshine law, many decisions were made in private and the votes to ratify negotiated agreements were mere formalities.
During the early implementation of Florida’s government in the Sunshine, it appeared to me that the law was to make it easy for news reporters and union representatives to access records of government activity. History has shown otherwise. The law has required elected officials to act independently in public, not in concert privately.
The public needs to know more about Florida’s open records and open meetings law. The public’s interest will help preserve a very important right imbedded in Florida’s constitution. It is a right worth defending.
Fred Brummer is the county commissioner for Orange County, Fla., District 2. |
