Florida Launches Open Government Commission

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist today addressed the Commission on Open Government during the group's first meeting in Tallahassee. The nine commission members appointed by the governor are charged with reviewing and evaluating the public's right of access to government meetings and records. The meeting is the first of at least three public hearings to receive input from the public, media and government representatives throughout the state.

"Citizen participation in all levels of government is a basic principle of our democracy, and the commission will play an important role in helping ensure government organizations provide access to the information needed for that participation," said Crist. "I thank the commission members for sharing their expertise and perspectives on this very important issue."

The commission will review policies and statutes related to Florida's Sunshine Laws, including Article 1, Section 24, of the Florida Constitution and Chapters 119 and 286.011 of the Florida Statutes. Their findings and recommendations will be presented to the governor, the senate president and speaker of the House of Representatives by December 31, 2008.

In one of his first official acts after his inauguration, Crist issued Executive Order 07-01 on January 3, 2007, to create the Office of Open Government. The office is designed to help Floridians access information about state government and ensure that government's actions are always transparent and accountable to taxpayers. The Commission on Open Government was created in June 2007 by Executive Order 07-107.

Crist encourages state and local officials, as well as consumers, to visit the Office of Open Government Web site. The Web site provides information about the commission's meetings, as well as links to public-record resources, including the Attorney General's Open Government Mediation Program and the First Amendment Foundation.