Naples Daily News: Records requests Governor’s office policy blocks public’s sunshine

Claiming a “tremendous increase in public records requests” that are taking “a great toll on existing information technology and other labor resources,” the office of Gov. Rick Scott recently announced a new policy establishing procedures and fees for responding to requests for copies of public documents.

Purportedly to reduce the cost to taxpayers in general for providing that service, the new policy essentially makes it much more difficult for the public to examine records in the state’s executive branch. In many cases, the costs could make access financially prohibitive, essentially casting a huge, secretive shadow over the state’s Sunshine Laws.

Read more here.