Governor
Crist Appoints Commission on Open Government
“
According to Executive Order 07-107, the
commission will review policies and statutes related to
Commission
Responsibilities
Among the issues to be considered by the
commission are the following:
· The relevance and redundancy of all exemptions to government meetings and
records.
·
Fees and charges imposed for inspecting and copying public records in light of
advances in information technology.
·
Collection, storage, retrieval, dissemination and accessibility of public
records through advanced technologies, including Internet access.
·
Current policies regarding the public’s right to participate in agency
meetings subject to the Sunshine Law, including, but not limited to, the right
to speak at meetings and whether such meetings conducted through the use of
telephone, video conference or other remote electronic means is consistent with
rights guaranteed by the Florida Constitution.
Commission
Members
The nine members of the commission are as
follows:
·
Barbara Petersen, 54, of Tallahassee, president, First Amendment Foundation,
representative of the First Amendment Foundation, who will serve as chair of the
commission.
·
Gerald Bailey, 60, of
·
Bob Butterworth, 64, of
·
John Carassas, 41, of
·
Sandy D’Alemberte, 74, of Tallahassee, president emeritus, Florida State
University, attorney with experience in First Amendment issues and litigation.
·
Senator Paula Dockery, 46, of
·
Jeanne Grinstead, 56, of St. Petersburg, deputy managing editor,
St. Petersburg Times, and president, Florida Society of Newspaper
Editors, member of the media.
·
Renee Lee, 54, of Riverview, Hillsborough County Attorney, local city/county
government representative.
·
Will Weatherford, 27, of Wesley Chapel, state representative, representative of
the Florida House of Representatives.
In one of his first official acts after his
inauguration, Governor Crist issued Executive Order 07-01 on
Florida
Governor Crist encourages state and local officials, as well as consumers, to
visit the Web sites. Visit the Office of Open Government at: www.flgov.com/og_home.
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STATE
OF
OFFICE
OF THE GOVERNOR
EXECUTIVE
ORDER NUMBER 07-107
WHEREAS, an open and accessible government is the
key to establishing and maintaining the people’s trust and confidence in their
government and its ability to effectively serve its citizens; and
WHEREAS, the state of
WHEREAS,
WHEREAS, streamlining and clarifying applicable
laws and policies will result in making government more open, accessible, and
accountable to its citizens; and
WHEREAS, a formal review of Florida’s open government practices will promote
consistency, eliminate redundancy and provide public servants the tools they
need to serve the people of Florida with integrity and transparency; and
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHARLIE CRIST, as Governor of
Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section (1)(a)
of the Florida Constitution, and all other applicable laws, do hereby promulgate
the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:
Section 1.
The Commission on Open Government Reform
(“Commission”) is hereby created within the Office of Open Government in the
Executive Office of the Governor. The Commission is established to review,
evaluate, and issue recommendations regarding
Section 2.
The Commission shall consist of 9 members
appointed by the Governor. Members shall serve a term beginning on
1.
A representative of a state agency;
2.
A representative of the Florida Senate;
3.
A representative of the Florida House of Representatives;
4.
A representative of
5.
A representative of city or county government;
6.
A representative of the First Amendment Foundation;
7.
A representative of the media;
8.
An attorney with experience in First Amendment issues and litigation;
9.
A private citizen who is a resident of
From the members, the
Governor will appoint a Chair. The Commission shall
meet at least once every three months at a time
and place designated by the Chair. A majority of the Commission’s
members constitutes a quorum. A quorum must be met in order for the
Commission to vote on any proposed action or recommendation.
Section 3.
The Commission shall review, evaluate and issue
recommendations concerning
1.
The relevance and redundancy of all exemptions to government meetings and
records. The Commission shall recommend the repeal or creation of
exemptions, including new exemptions for categories of information, based on the
following criteria:
a.
Does the exemption allow the state or its political subdivisions to effectively
and efficiently administer a governmental program?
b. Would the administration be significantly
impaired without the exemption?
c.
Does the exemption protect personal identifying information of a sensitive
nature, the release of which would be defamatory or damaging to the good name or
reputation of such individuals or would jeopardize the safety of such
individuals. However, in exemptions under this subparagraph, only
information that would identify the individuals may be exempted.
d.
Does the exemption protect information of a proprietary nature which is used to
protect or further a business advantage, the disclosure of which would injure
the affected entity in the marketplace?
2.
The fees and charges imposed for inspecting and copying public records in light
of advances in information technology.
3.
The collection, storage, retrieval, dissemination, and accessibility of public
records through advanced technologies, including internet access.
4.
The current policies regarding the public’s right to participate in agency
meetings subject to the Sunshine Law, including but not limited to the right to
speak at meetings and whether such meetings conducted through the use of
telephone, video conference or other remote electronic means is consistent with
rights guaranteed by the state constitution.
5.
The relative position of
The Commission shall hold at least three public hearings at locations throughout
the state to solicit input from all members of the public, media, and
government. These hearings will occur at locations and times convenient
for the public as determined by the Office of Open Government.
The Commission shall compile its findings and
present a final report to the Governor, the Senate President and the Speaker of
the House of Representatives by
Section 4.
Members of the Commission shall not receive
compensation for fulfilling their duties as a member. Members of the
Commission who are employees of the State, if any, may receive reimbursement
from their respective agencies to the extent allowed by Section 112.061, Florida
Statutes. The Office of Open Government within the Executive Office of the
Governor shall provide administrative support to the Commission and shall seek
state agency technical assistance, as needed.
Section 5.
All state agencies under the direction of the Governor are hereby directed, and all other state agencies are hereby requested, to provide such assistance to the individuals carrying out the directions in this Executive Order as may be requested in furtherance of the objectives described.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set
my hand and caused the Great Seal of the state of
_________________________________
GOVERNOR
ATTEST:
______________________________
SECRETARY OF STATE
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