Governor’s Commission on Open Government to Meet at Sudakoff Center on Feb. 12 and 13

Florida’s Commission on Open Government Reform, a group created by Governor Charlie Crist to review and evaluate the state’s open government laws and practices, will hold its third public meeting on February 12 and 13 in the Sudakoff Center at New College of Florida. Tuesday’s session runs from 2-8 p.m., and Wednesday’s from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. All sessions are free and open to the public.

The nine-member commission, which was formed by the governor in summer 2007, is charged with presenting recommendations for streamlining and clarifying Florida’s open government, or “Sunshine,” laws with the aim of “making government more open, accessible, and accountable” to citizens of the state. Among the agenda items to be discussed during the meeting at New College are public records requests on the part of the media, law enforcement issues related to open government laws and practices, and open government and the legislature.

Among those scheduled to speak before the commission during its meeting at New College are Diane McFarlin, publisher of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune; Matt Walsh, publisher of the Gulf Coast Business Review; Mark Zadra, assistant commissioner for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; State Senator Paula Dockery (R – Lakeland), Senate majority whip; and State Representatives Will Weatherford (R – Wesley Chapel) and Dan Gelber (D – Miami Beach), House minority leader.