Florida Government in the Sunhine law states that elected (and in many cases, appointed) officials may not discuss issues that may come before them outside of public scrutiny.

The origin of this law goes back to at least 1954 when LeRoy Collins ran for governor on a reform platform that included "government in the sunshine and not in the shade."

It took over a dozen years before the intial Government in the Sunshine law was passed by the Legislature, and it was not until 1969 that the Florida Supreme Court upheld the law, declaring

The right of the public to be present and to be heard during all phases of enactments by boards and commissions is a source of strength in our country. During past years tendencies toward secrecy in public affairs have been the subject of extensive criticism. Terms such as managed news, secret meetings, closed records, executive sessions, and study sessions have become synonymous with 'hanky panky' in the minds of publicspirited citizens. One purpose of the Sunshine Law was to maintain the faith of the public in governmental agencies. Regardless of their good intentions, these specified boards and commissions, through devious ways, should not be allowed to deprive the public of this inalienable right to be present and to be heard at all deliberations wherein decisions affecting the public are being made.

Although the spirit of the law has not always been faithfully followed, by and large Florida's various governments have, since this judicial decree, operated in public view.