Politics

Crist creates a panel for open government

The commission will recommend ways to improve public access to government data.

By STEVE BOUSQUET
Published June 20, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Charlie Crist on Tuesday created the state's first Open Government Reform Commission, which will search for ways to make Florida more open to residents.

The nine-member panel will review hundreds of exemptions to public records laws that have multiplied in recent years. It also will examine fees charged to the public and media to inspect and copy records as well as the use of the Internet to improve public access to government information.

Crist said the commission can do whatever it wants.

"To put limitations on it would be counterproductive, " Crist said. "Whatever they hear from the people is important."

Crist appointed members of the bipartisan group, which will be headed by Barbara Petersen, president of the First Amendment Foundation.

"We set the standard for open government, " Petersen said, "and to be able to be involved in the process of making those laws even better is very exciting to me."

Despite Florida's reputation as having some of the strongest "sunshine" laws of any state, secrecy is a recurring controversy.

Some recent examples:

- A Duval County grand jury will consider whether to investigate reports of rampant open meeting violations by the Jacksonville City Council, as reported in the Florida Times-Union.

- The Florida Transportation Commission, a high-level panel of gubernatorial appointees, kept no minutes or record of its two public meetings this year at which it interviewed finalists for the state secretary of transportation.

- Despite Crist's support for making it easier for released felons to regain some civil rights, the clemency process exempts most records from disclosure. People who request pardons or renewed civil rights are not given reasons for the recommendations of the Parole Commission.

- Democratic lawmakers faulted Republicans for writing an overhaul of the property tax system in private, before it passed last week.

Crist declined to fault legislators' tax deliberations. "If I understand it, everything was done appropriately, " he said, "and I think that the conclusion was exemplary."

Five of the panel's nine members are from the Tampa Bay region.

Others on the panel are Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey; Department of Children and Families Secretary Bob Butterworth; Pinellas County judge and former Republican legislator John Carassas; president-emeritus of Florida State University Sandy D'Alemberte; Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland; Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel; Hillsborough County Attorney Renee Lee; and incoming president of the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors Jeanne Grinstead, who also is deputy managing editor of the St. Petersburg Times.

The commission will hold at least three hearings around the state and issue a report to the Legislature by Dec. 31, 2008.

The new commission follows Crist's creation of the first Office of Open Government in January.

Steve Bousquet can be reached at bousquet@sptimes.com or 850 224-7263.

[Last modified June 20, 2007, 01:28:33]