By Editorial Board Posted March 11, 2012 at 5 a.m. A key to an effective democracy is public understanding and involvement in the actions taken by elected and appointed government officials as representatives of the citizenry. That demands that records and meetings associated with governmental actions be open and accessible to all members of the public.…
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JOE SAUNDERS’S BLOG | Posted: March 8, 2012 7:20 PM The First Amendment Foundation has issued an email blast asking supporters to contact legislative leaders to demand passage of a Senate bill that guarantees the right of Floridians to speak at public meetings of their city councils, school boards, county commissions and before any other elected…
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We were each astounded when our City Attorney, approached us during the course of our service as mayors of the nearby cities of Lake Helen and Sanford and advised us that the courts had ruled that, although the Sunshine Law requires that meetings be open to the public, the Law does not give the public…
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TALLAHASSEE — The state Senate unanimously agreed Tuesday that under Florida law, public meeting attendees should have a fair shot to voice their opinions. Sen. Joe Negron‘s SB 206, which cleared the Senate 40-0 without debate or drama, would give the public the “reasonable” right to testify during most public meetings. Without Negron’s bill, there…
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Negron bill guaranteeing right to speak at public meetings dies in House
Government officials still won’t have a legal obligation to hear from the public at open meetings after Sen. Joe Negron‘s right-to-speak proposal died in the Legislature this year. For the second consecutive year, a push to require officials to allow public comment at most open meetings has come up short. Negron’s bill, SB 206, passed through…
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