Sunshine Week celebrates our right to be fully informed

Sunshine Week — the collective national effort to keep government and information open to the public — is here and there’s never been a better time to get acquainted with the right of every citizen to know what their government is up to.

James Madison, the founding father of open government laws, once emphasized the importance of citizens having the ability to be informed: “A popular government,” Madison stated, “without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps, both.”

Transparency and accountability are essential pillars of a healthy democracy. When citizens actively exercise their right to access information and hold their government accountable, it creates a feedback loop that fosters transparency and responsiveness within governmental institutions. Relying solely on the good intentions of government officials is insufficient. These laws serve as checks and balances, helping to prevent abuses of power and corruption.

Sunshine laws are the most important right a citizen can exercise. Not exercising it puts us at risk of secrecy. If citizens are in the dark about what elected officials are doing, they have no ability to make good decisions when exercising the right to vote.

Florida’s broad public record laws have been touted as some of the strongest in the nation, but they are under assault. Each year, the Florida Legislature passes more laws keeping citizens in the dark about what their government is doing.

There have been recent high-profile examples across the state, including here in Sarasota, where access to records proved vital in getting information out to the public.

For example, the public’s right to know that Christian Ziegler, the former chair of the Republican Party of Florida, was under criminal investigation would not have been discovered but for Florida’s transparency laws.

Also, Gov. Ron DeSantis recently invoked executive privilege – previously unheard of in Florida – to prevent the release of information about judicial appointments or whatever else the governor doesn’t want Floridians to know about. A court case challenging the governor’s claim of unchecked power to invoke secrecy is pending in the appellate courts.

Extensive body camera footage from a recent use of deadly force incident in Sarasota allowed citizens to quickly make their own judgment about what happened. Rather than speculate or listen to rumors, the high-definition footage from multiple angles of several officers gave the public a unique perspective of the events.

Another recent court challenge revealed simmering tensions between the governor and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement – the state’s top law enforcement agency – over delays in releasing taxpayer-funded travel records while DeSantis jetted around the country during his presidential campaign.

The judiciary must address these issues and others while continuing to enforce the constitutional right of citizens to hold government accountable. Access to information cannot be eroded through creative ways or strongarm tactics. An independent judiciary plays a vital role in protecting the ability of citizens to gain knowledge and become informed. Without it, we are at the mercy of whatever the legislative and executive branches want us to know.

Given the chance, some public officials will look for any opportunity to dodge transparency in favor of secrecy. The right to know is a vital check on government and keeps politicians and appointed officials honest.

Think of your right to transparency like every other purchase you make. Taxpayers expect good governance and deserve to know how their money is spent.

Knowledge is power and Florida’s transparency laws ensure any citizen can discover the inner workings of government. The law does not require a citizen to identify themselves or state a reason why they want to inspect public records. The only delay allowed is the time it takes a custodian to retrieve a record and make it available for inspection.

On Wednesday, March 13, the Florida Center for Government Accountability (www.flcga.org) will celebrate Sunshine Week with a luncheon and panel discussion about how any citizen can exercise the right to find out what their government is up to. Rick Wilson, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, will also be on hand to deliver a thrilling speech.

Be curious about what your government is up to. Come join us and help celebrate this cornerstone of democracy. Find out how you can get help obtaining records from all three branches of the government, whether it’s City Hall, county government, state agencies, your local school board, the Florida Legislature and even the Governor’s Office.