Latest news with #JosephL.BrechnerFreedomofInformationProject
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tennessee coalition celebrates 20 years of Sunshine Week, promoting government transparency
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Sunshine Week celebrated nationally to promote the importance of open government at the federal, state and local levels. The idea was born more than 20 years ago when Florida newspaper editors started Sunshine Sunday to highlight the need for government transparency. By 2005, it grew to a full week of open government advocacy nationwide. The annual collaboration now is coordinated by the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communications. About 100 organizations representing news media, public interest groups, and open government advocates have endorsed Sunshine Week. The Tennessee Coalition for Open Government (TCOG) and the Tennessee Press Association (TPA) are among those organizations. TPA, which was founded more than 150 years ago to support the newspaper industry, played a key role in launching TCOG in 2003 because its leaders and open government advocates realized the public needed a unified voice to protect and strengthen open government laws. As Jack McElroy, former editor of the Knoxville New Sentinel and a TCOG board member, wrote in his history of the organization, TCOG 'is recognized statewide, by citizens and public officials alike, as Tennessee's pre-eminent source of expertise and advocacy for the public's right to know.' Sunshine Week celebrates its 20th anniversary at a time when efforts to weaken or circumvent open government laws are growing and public trust in the news media and traditional institutions has eroded. Two of Tennessee's top investigative journalists say more transparency, not less, is needed. Marc Perrusquia heads The Institute for Public Service Reporting at the University of Memphis, which was created in 2018. He worked the previous 29 years as a reporter with The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, uncovering corruption in the state's taxpayer-funded child care system, excessive use of force by police, and consumer gouging by car title lenders, to name just a few. 'Transparency and freedom of information are under assault at every level of government, from Washington, where executive overreach is usurping legislative authority with little or no scrutiny by elected lawmakers, to Nashville, where the governor and state legislators have created a new immigration enforcement office that is exempt from the state public records law, to Memphis, where reporters often wait weeks, months and sometimes years to gain access to public records,' he said. 'Now, more than ever, we need a vigorous press to challenge these encroachments on democratic principles and their accompanying currents of disinformation. We need an engaged electorate, enlightened by readily flowing, reliable information that only a free and independent news media can provide.' Phil Williams, an investigative reporter for WTVF-TV in Nashville, has spent much of his 40-year career uncovering corruption at the state and local level and confronting many of society's critical issues, including hate groups and conspiracy theory movements like QAnon. 'In an age when there is such intense distrust in government, transparency is the antidote that is desperately needed … I am increasingly finding that citizens are willing to embrace conspiracy theories about government that are completely divorced from reality,' Williams said. 'The best hope for combating disinformation and misinformation is for government to be completely open about what it's doing and why.' Tennessee is one of the few states where an open-government group has paid staff to educate the public and policymakers about the right to know, and research shows an active coalition is correlated with better government, said David Cuillier, director of the Brechner project, which coordinates Sunshine Week. Now, more than ever, we need a vigorous press to challenge these encroachments on democratic principles and their accompanying currents of disinformation. We need an engaged electorate, enlightened by readily flowing, reliable information that only a free and independent news media can provide. – Marc Perrusquia, The Institute for Public Service Reporting These organizations across the country struggle financially, Cuillier said. 'It's critical for community foundations and philanthropy to keep TCOG strong, because if Tennessee loses TCOG, it could very well lose government accountability,' In recent years, TCOG has worked with lawmakers to: Require city and county legislative bodies to produce accurate and complete public agendas at least 48 hours before any meeting. Allow citizens to recover attorney costs in certain cases when they win an open meetings lawsuit. Assure that future exceptions to the Public Records Act are fully scrutinized by requiring review by the House Government Operations Committee. TCOG, like similar state public advocacy groups, is a non-profit that receives no government funding and relies entirely on contributions from news organizations, citizen groups and individuals. TCOG's budget pays for one part-time employee. With the General Assembly currently in full swing, that lone employee, TCOG executive director Deborah Fisher, is at Capitol every week keeping tabs on legislation that could weaken open government laws and working to strengthen public transparency. During the year, Fisher fields scores of inquiries from journalists and citizens needing guidance and conducts training sessions for journalists and government officials alike about public record and open meeting laws. It's important work that the public should support, said Frank Gibson, a former Tennessean editor who led the effort to create TCOG in 2003 and served as its executive director until 2011. 'Changes in the news media and political landscapes make it necessary for citizens to be better informed and aware of attempts to close information about their government,' Gibson said. 'Supporting groups like the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government is a good way keep the public informed and to protect freedom.' Adam Yeomans is vice president of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government and the former South regional director for The Associated Press based in Nashville. He can be reached atadamyeomans@
Miami Herald
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Bring back the sunshine: Florida's public records crisis demands action
For almost two years, state insurance regulators sat on a report showing that property insurance companies were raking in billions — even as they lobbied the Florida Legislature for financial relief. Instead of making that information public, officials buried records requests until long after lawmakers approved massive industry bailout packages. When journalists finally exposed the truth recently, legislators were outraged and demanded answers from the insurance industry. But where is the outrage over the government's role in concealing this information? While lawmakers rail against insurers, few seem troubled that state officials deliberately withheld a report that Floridians had a legal right to see. The sad truth? This wasn't an anomaly — it's the new normal. Floridians have a constitutional right to access public records, but in practice, that right has been all but gutted. Agencies routinely ignore requests, impose exorbitant fees and delay responses indefinitely. As secrecy spreads, government officials operate with less oversight. This isn't a partisan issue. Transparency is a foundation of good government, whether you lean Democrat, Republican or somewhere in between. Floridians deserves to know how their tax dollars are spent, how decisions are made and what their leaders are doing behind closed doors. It wasn't always this way. Florida once set the gold standard for open government. Our Sunshine Laws were the envy of the nation — a model for accountability, transparency and public access. These laws were never mere suggestions; they were designed to keep government honest and ensure the public's right to know. Yet today, state agencies — led by the Governor's Office —increasingly treat compliance as optional. Delay, deny, ignore — this is the new playbook for blocking access to information. This obstruction isn't just frustrating — it's illegal. Chapter 119 of Florida Statutes requires officials to provide public records in a timely manner. But delays that once lasted weeks now stretch into months or even years. The government's attitude seems to be: If you want these records, sue us. Meanwhile, lawmakers act as if nothing is amiss. There are now more than 1,200 exemptions to Florida's public records laws on the books. During this 2025 Legislative session alone, more than 130 bills have been filed that would restrict public access or weaken government accountability. The impact is clear: A 2024 study from the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida confirms what transparency advocates already knew — Florida is no longer a leader in open state now ranks 31st in the nation for compliance with public records laws. But as we mark Sunshine Week, March 16-20, a time to celebrate government transparency, there is reason for hope. A new bill — Senate Bill 1434, sponsored by Sen. Darryl Rouson (D-Tampa) — would force agencies to stop stonewalling the public. It's one of the few bright spots in this year's legislative session — a rare, meaningful effort to restore government accountability. If passed, SB 1434 would: Require agencies to acknowledge public records requests within three business agencies from charging fees when they fail to respond in a timely penalties on those who ignore or obstruct public records requests. The bill represents one of the strongest attempts in years to fix Florida's dysfunctional public records system. Yet SB 1434 is far from guaranteed. It currently lacks a House companion bill and faces an uphill battle in Tallahassee. The fact that it's even on the table is a step in the right direction — but it won't pass without public pressure. So, this Sunshine Week, take action. Whether you care about the water quality, how your child's school is funded or what's happening with that vacant lot downtown, make a public record request— your right to know is at stake. Speak out. Call, email and write your state representatives. Demand they support SB 1434 and take a stand for transparency. The information our government holds does not belong to politicians — it belongs to you. Let's fight to bring the sunshine back to Florida. Bobby Block is executive director of the First Amendment Foundation, a nonprofit organization established in 1985 to protect and advance the rights of free expression, protest and the press, as well as to promote open government and access to public records. Visit
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Transparent, open government is vital. That's why Sunshine Week still matters.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Sunshine Week celebrated nationally to promote the importance of open government at the federal, state and local levels. The idea was born more than 20 years ago when Florida newspaper editors started Sunshine Sunday to highlight the need for government transparency. By 2005, it grew to a full week of open government advocacy nationwide. The annual collaboration now is coordinated by the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communications. This year's celebration is March 16-22. About 100 organizations representing news media, public interest groups, and open government advocates have endorsed Sunshine Week. The Tennessee Coalition for Open Government (TCOG) and the Tennessee Press Association (TPA) are among those organizations. TPA, which was founded more than 150 years ago to support the newspaper industry, played a key role in launching TCOG in 2003 because its leaders and open government advocates realized the public needed a unified voice to protect and strengthen open government laws. As Jack McElroy, former editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel and a TCOG board member, wrote in his history of the organization, TCOG 'is recognized statewide, by citizens and public officials alike, as Tennessee's pre-eminent source of expertise and advocacy for the public's right to know.' Sunshine Week celebrates its 20th anniversary at a time when efforts to weaken or circumvent open government laws are growing and public trust in the news media and traditional institutions has eroded. Two of Tennessee's top investigative journalists say more transparency, not less, is needed. Marc Perrusquia heads The Institute for Public Service Reporting at the University of Memphis, which was created in 2018. He worked the previous 29 years as a reporter with The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, uncovering corruption in the state's taxpayer-funded child care system, excessive use of force by police, and consumer gouging by car title lenders, to name just a few. "Transparency and freedom of information are under assault at every level of government, from Washington, where executive overreach is usurping legislative authority with little or no scrutiny by elected lawmakers, to Nashville, where the governor and state legislators have created a new immigration enforcement office that is exempt from the state public records law, to Memphis, where reporters often wait weeks, months and sometimes years to gain access to public records,' he said. 'Now, more than ever, we need a vigorous press to challenge these encroachments on democratic principles and their accompanying currents of disinformation. We need an engaged electorate, enlightened by readily flowing, reliable information that only a free and independent news media can provide.'' Phil Williams, an investigative reporter for WTVF-TV in Nashville, has spent much of his 40-year career uncovering corruption at the state and local level and confronting many of society's critical issues, including hate groups and conspiracy theory movements like QAnon. 'In an age when there is such intense distrust in government, transparency is the antidote that is desperately needed … I am increasingly finding that citizens are willing to embrace conspiracy theories about government that are completely divorced from reality,' Williams said. Brad Schmitt: Bob Mueller, Lelan Statom, Holly Thompson and other news vets on stories that most moved them 'The best hope for combating disinformation and misinformation is for government to be completely open about what it's doing and why.' Tennessee is one of the few states where an open-government group has paid staff to educate the public and policymakers about their right to know, and research shows an active coalition is correlated with better government, said David Cuillier, director of the Brechner project, which coordinates Sunshine Week. These organizations across the country struggle financially, Cuillier said. 'It's critical for community foundations and philanthropy to keep TCOG strong, because if Tennessee loses TCOG, it could very well lose government accountability,' In recent years, TCOG has worked with lawmakers to: Require city and county legislative bodies to produce accurate and complete public agendas at least 48 hours before any meeting. Allow citizens to recover attorney costs in certain cases when they win an open meetings lawsuit. Assure that future exceptions to the Public Records Act are fully scrutinized by requiring review by the House Government Operations Committee. TCOG, like similar state public advocacy groups, is a nonprofit that receives no government funding and relies entirely on contributions from news organizations, citizen groups and individuals. TCOG's budget pays for one part-time employee. With the General Assembly currently in full swing, that lone employee, TCOG executive director Deborah Fisher, is at the Capitol every week keeping tabs on legislation that could weaken open government laws and working to strengthen public transparency. During the year, Fisher fields scores of inquiries from journalists and citizens needing guidance and conducts training sessions for journalists and government officials alike about public record and open meeting laws. It's important work that the public should support, said Frank Gibson, a former Tennessean editor who led the effort to create TCOG in 2003 and served as its executive director until 2011. 'Changes in the news media and political landscapes make it necessary for citizens to be better informed and aware of attempts to close information about their government,' Gibson said. 'Supporting groups like the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government is a good way keep the public informed and to protect freedom.' Adam Yeomans is vice president of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government and the former South regional director for The Associated Press based in Nashville. He can be reached at adamyeomans@ EDITOR'S NOTE: You can donate to TCOG and/or sign up for its free newsletter at to receive updates about open government issues in Tennessee. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Government works best for citizens when it is transparent | Opinion
USA Today
08-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Gov. DeSantis keeps Florida in the dark by obstructing government transparency
Gov. DeSantis keeps Florida in the dark by obstructing government transparency | Opinion It's time for lawmakers and citizens alike to push back — hard. The Sunshine State is going dark. It's up to us to turn the lights back on. Show Caption Hide Caption Gov. Ron DeSantis holds immigration press event in Palm Beach County Gov. Ron DeSantis holds immigration Palm Beach County press event with Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, State Rep. Mike Caruso and FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass There was a time when Florida set the gold standard for open government. Our Sunshine laws were the envy of the nation, a model for accountability, transparency and public access to information about what our government gets up to. Those days are over. Today, Florida is sliding into secrecy at an alarming pace, and the blame rests squarely with Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state agencies following his lead. Public records laws in Florida aren't suggestions; they're enshrined in law, designed to ensure that the people know what their government is doing in their name. But DeSantis' office has decided that compliance is optional. Delay, deny or ignore — that's the new standard operating procedure for the Executive Office of the Governor. The message is clear: If you want access to records that you're legally entitled to, you'll have to sue us. This obstruction isn't just a nuisance — it's illegal. Chapter 119 of Florida Statutes requires public officials to provide requested records in a timely manner. But under DeSantis, delays have stretched from months to more than a year. In some cases, records are outright withheld without explanation. Court cases challenging these violations are piling up, and judges are starting to call out the administration's blatant disregard for the law. Opinion: Judge questions DeSantis administration's response time for public records requests Florida's lack of transparency trickles down. Lawmakers must push back. And it's not just the governor's office. State agencies, local governments, and even law enforcement are taking their cues from the top, making public records harder to access by citizens, lawyers, and the private sector. The result? A 2024 study from the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida confirms what we already knew: Access to public information in Florida is deteriorating fast. Florida now ranks at number 31, the bottom half of U.S. states when it comes to compliance with public records requests. The hypocrisy would be laughable if it weren't so dangerous. After the recent assassination attempt on then-presidential candidate Trump at a golf course near Mar-a-Lago, DeSantis contended that Florida should lead the investigation in part because our records laws would enable the public to request information about it. This, from the same governor whose office has repeatedly hidden public records, fought lawsuits and even claimed an 'executive privilege' that does not exist under Florida law. Opinion: DeSantis says Trump assassination attempt merits life in prison, criticizes fed's gun charges This isn't a partisan issue. Transparency is a fundamental principle of good government, whether you lean left, right or somewhere in between. Every Floridian, regardless of politics, deserves to know how their tax dollars are spent, how decisions are made, and what their leaders are doing behind closed doors. It's time for lawmakers and citizens alike to push back — hard. The Florida Legislature needs to hold oversight hearings. The courts need to continue striking down these blatant violations of the law. And the public needs to demand better, because when transparency dies, corruption flourishes. The Sunshine State is going dark. It's up to us to turn the lights back on. The First Amendment Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1985 to protect and advance the rights of free expression, protest and the press, as well as to promote open government and access to public records. For more information about us and how to support our efforts please visit
