Sunshine laws?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="sunshine">sunshine</span> <span word="laws">laws</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: <span word="Legislation">Legislation</span> <span word="promoting">promoting</span> <span word="open">open</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="referred">referred</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="sunshine">sunshine</span> <span word="laws">laws</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="They">They</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="sunshine">sunshine</span> <span word="laws">laws</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="let">let</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sun">sun</span> <span word="shine">shine</span> <span word="indoors">indoors</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="doors">doors</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="closed">closed</span> <span word="meeting">meeting</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span>.</p><p><span word="Hence">Hence</span> “<span word="sunshine">sunshine</span> <span word="laws">laws</span>” <span word="are">are</span> <span word="synonymous">synonymous</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="open">open</span> <span word="government">government</span>.</p><p><span word="First">First</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="sunshine">sunshine</span> <span word="laws">laws</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="laws">laws</span>. <span word="American">American</span> <span word="states">states</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="each">each</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="legislation">legislation</span> (<span word="laws">laws</span>) <span word="requiring">requiring</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="agencies">agencies</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="disclose">disclose</span>, <span word="among">among</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="things">things</span>, <span word="meeting">meeting</span> <span word="records">records</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="public">public</span>.</p><p><span word="Why">Why</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="that">that</span>?</p><p><span word="Because">Because</span>, <span word="because">because</span>, <span word="putting">putting</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="simple">simple</span> <span word="terms">terms</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="supposed">supposed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="serve">serve</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="know">know</span> – <span word="they">they</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="know">know</span>.</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="national">national</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="federal">federal</span> <span word="level">level</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="Freedom">Freedom</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Information">Information</span> <span word="Act">Act</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="legislation">legislation</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="promotes">promotes</span> <span word="sunshine">sunshine</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="transparency">transparency</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="government">government</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="generally">generally</span> <span word="accepted">accepted</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="sunshine">sunshine</span> <span word="laws">laws</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="sunshine">sunshine</span> <span word="laws">laws</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Florida">Florida</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="state">state</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="establish">establish</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="public">public</span>-<span word="records">records</span> <span word="law">law</span>, <span word="back">back</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1909. <span word="Florida">Florida</span>, <span word="situated">situated</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="southeast">southeast</span> <span word="tip">tip</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="known">known</span> (<span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Sunshine">Sunshine</span> <span word="State">State</span>) <span word="for">for</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="sunshine">sunshine</span>, <span word="beaches">beaches</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="heat">heat</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="helps">helps</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1967, <span word="Florida">Florida</span> <span word="enacted">enacted</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="improvement">improvement</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="original">original</span> <span word="legislation">legislation</span> <span word="aptly">aptly</span> <span word="titled">titled</span> <span word="thus">thus</span> – <span word="Government">Government</span>-<span word="in">in</span>-<span word="the">the</span>-<span word="Sunshine">Sunshine</span> <span word="Law">Law</span>.</p><p><span word="Hence">Hence</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="short">short</span>, <span word="laws">laws</span> <span word="promoting">promoting</span> <span word="open">open</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="transparency">transparency</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="sunshine">sunshine</span> <span word="laws">laws</span>, <span word="which">which</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sunlight">sunlight</span> <span word="analogy">analogy</span> <span word="again">again</span>, <span word="lights">lights</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="closed">closed</span> <span word="rooms">rooms</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="government">government</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="after">after</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="public">public</span> <span word="domain">domain</span>.</p>
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