FL Flunks Transparency Test

Opacity?

MIAMI – As Florida gets a mediocre grade for its digital transparency this week during Sunshine Week, some open-records activists share stories of their battles for the public's right to know.

And they've got some doozies.

Florida merited a C grade for transparency and accountability on a report released this week by the Sunlight Foundation, which promotes open government. The report ranks state legislative websites on the degree of transparency they provide to the public through digital media.

Florida's Sunshine Laws are among the country's most extensive in allowing the public access to public records, but those laws are not always put into practice.