The Florida Supreme Court will consider arguments Wednesday in Tallahassee in a case that considers whether the identities of police officers who kill civilians in violent encounters can be withheld from the public. Law enforcement is among one of the only civilian professions in which the use of deadly force …
Read More »Judge Agrees To Keep Police Officers’ Identities On Hold
In a closely watched case about how to apply a constitutional amendment that expanded victims’ rights, a Leon County circuit judge on Thursday agreed to at least temporarily keep secret the identities of two Tallahassee police officers involved in use-of-force incidents.
Read More »Why There’s Little Sunshine On Many Economic Development Deals In Florida — And Beyond
State laws, including in Florida and neighboring states, are a patchwork of regulations that tend to land on the side of corporate secrecy, more often than not.
Read More »Florida Trade Secret Bills Fail For The Third Consecutive Session
The end of the 2020 legislative session spelled the end for attempts to clarify Florida's trade secrets law to give the public greater access to information.
Read More »Levy County To Adapt Documents For Visually Impaired Individuals
Levy County will soon adjust its website and online documents to comply with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act's standards for visually impaired website visitors.
Read More »Florida Senate Considers New Ban On Police Releasing Photo, Audio, Video Of Mass Killings
Florida is considering prohibiting police from releasing audio, photographs or video of mass killings unless a court gives them permission. The measure would dramatically alter the way news organizations cover a modern scourge that has claimed scores of lives.
Read More »Florida’s Direct-Support Organizations Sidestep Public Records Laws
Florida is one of the few states that exempts university groups like the University Athletic Association and UF Foundation from public records laws. Their DSO classification identifies them as a private, incorporated businesses, separating them from the universities they serve.
Read More »Public Records Fee Fight Re-Emerges
The Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee approved a proposal in a 4-3 vote Tuesday that would give judges discretion in deciding whether to award attorney fees in public-records lawsuits.
Read More »Florida Hunters’ Personal Info Remains Public, Senators Rule
The Rules Committee voted 5-4 to reject a measure (SB 1364) that would have created a public-records exemption for personal information — such as names, dates of birth, addresses and telephone numbers — of people getting hunting licenses from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Read More »Fee Issue Fuels Public-Records Fight
A bill was approved by the House panel that gives judges discretion in deciding whether to award attorney fees in public-records lawsuits. The bill was created to stop people who flood governments with public records requests just so they can file lawsuits, but may decrease the state's level of government transparency.
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