Sunshine Laws
Is the speaker convincing in her critique of Florida’s new exemptions to the Sunshine Law?
Yes, the speaker is convincing in her critique of the new exemptions to the sunshine laws. She tries to explain how the rules made are making the government transparent in its dealings. In her critique, she helps the reader understand the 12 bills passed by lawmakers (Rohrer, 2018). She also makes a comparison between the outlawed sunshine laws to the recently made 12 bills. She also gives the main reason why the lawmakers passed the bill. She also provides an example of a senate member who pushed for a statement, which allowed citizens to express their views before the governing board. She also explains how the bills implemented could lead to the future of Florida’s open record laws.
What kind of exemptions should there legitimately be to the federal or a state’s Sunshine Law?
There are Exemptions such as holding meetings with advance notice and a place that is convenient and accessible to the public. During the open sessions, there is an exemption not to disclose the trade secrets obtained from a person or the one considered as being confidential (Rohrer, 2018). There is also an exemption of not depriving a person of the right to a fair trial or unwanted invasion of someone’s privacy. When there is a change in regards to a meeting, the agency is required to announce changes and vote for each member upon such change should be done earlier. With a notice in place, the agency is required to provide a name and telephone number of the official in charge of the meeting. Moreover, another exemption is that the agency can vote to close the session.
References
Rohrer, G. (2018). Florida’s renowned Sunshine Laws took another 12 hits from the Legislature this year. Retrieved from https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article208393214.html
The following is a link to the text of the Government in the Sunshine Act (5 USC §552b), enacted in 1976 to ensure transparency in the operations of the federal government. States and local jurisdictions have their own versions of the Sunshine Act as well. Take a moment to review some of the provisions of the federal Sunshine Act.
Source: “Government in the Sunshine Act” (2012): Access Reports Freedom of Information.
Retrieved from http://accessreports.com/statutes/sunshine.htm
Now take a look at this video about restrictions on Florida’s Sunshine Law; also read the associated article from the Miami Herald.
Retrieved from https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article208393214.html
Complete a 1 page essay answering the following questions:
Is the speaker convincing in her critique of Florida’s new exemptions to the Sunshine Law?
What kind of exemptions should there legitimately be to the federal or a state’s Sunshine Law?
