Among the list of legislative proposals that the Hillsborough County Commission is asking their state lawmakers to enact this year is a request from one board member to eliminate sunshine laws for county commissioners.
Donna Cameron Cepeda, a Republican first elected in 2022, says her proposal is not about reducing transparency in local government, but instead is intended to improve the “functionality of the decision-making process for commissioners and specific boards.”
“Discussions under the current Sunshine law can hinder effective communication, particularly [for the] Commission on Human Trafficking where sensitive information needs to be handled cautiously,” Cameron Cepeda told the Phoenix in an email message.
“As a dedicated public servant, I value transparency, accountability, and the public’s trust in government operations. Florida’s Sunshine Law has been instrumental in ensuring openness and preventing corruption. However, certain circumstances call for thoughtful updates to improve efficiency and effectiveness while maintaining the integrity of the public process.”
That human trafficking commission is one of the agencies Cameron Cepeda serves on and she says that the ability to discuss strategy is “crucial.”
“Traffickers actively monitor anti-trafficking efforts, and public discussions can inadvertently expose our plans, jeopardizing their effectiveness,” she said. “Limited private discussions would allow us to safeguard sensitive information while continuing to uphold our mission to protect the most vulnerable.”
Florida has a long history of strong sunshine laws, starting with the Public Records Law in 1909, which says that citizens can see, read, and copy any records the government receives during the course of business unless a state law says the information is private.
The Government in the Sunshine Law was adopted in 1967.
In 1992, Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a public right to access records and meetings. A decade later, as lawmakers were adding exemptions, voters approved another a constitutional amendment making it harder for legislators to approve future exceptions.
Code words
Ben Wilcox is research director for Integrity Florida, a government watchdog group. He says that, since its inception, there have been attempts to weaken Florida sunshine laws by public officials who would like to operate more in the shadows than in the sunshine.
“More often than not, these public officials try to argue that allowing officials to discuss issues out of public scrutiny would ‘improve the functionality of the decision-making process,’” Wilcox said.
“This is code for actually saying, ‘Making deals would be easier if we didn’t have to do it at a public meeting.’
“These public officials will also seek to justify their desire to operate out of the sunshine by citing sensitive issues like human trafficking and raising security concerns that traffickers will ‘monitor’ the public discussions and somehow use the information to evade prosecution. Again, this is a red herring. Any action the local government might take regarding human trafficking will still have to come before the body as an agenda item and be subject to full public discussion. Allowing commissioners to discuss public issues in private will only facilitate back-room deal making.
“The overall effect of weakening our Government in the Sunshine Law will be a loss of public confidence in its government. This County Commissioner says she is not ‘advocating for secrecy or reduced public oversight,’ but in reality that is exactly what she is advocating for.”
Harry Cohen, one of two Democrats on the seven-member Hillsborough County Commission, does not support Cameron Cepeda’s proposal.
“I am not in favor of elimination of the sunshine law for county commissioners,” he said in a text message.
The Phoenix reached out to two Hillsborough County Republican state lawmakers for comment, but neither responded.
–Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
Robin says
He’ll no!
Thomas Hutson says
Sunshine Law
Simple answer to another wack job elected to a political post NO , HELL NO!
There is a reason Florida voters put the Sunshine Law in our Florida CONSTITUTION! Because of dirtbag commissioners elected that cannot do anything in the Sunshine, because they do their best “dealings” behind closed doors. Florida Sunshine Law was designed specifically to prevent backroom and under the table dealings.
Elected officials work for the citizens that elected them ; they have an absolute right to know what and how the decisions and deals are made . You are dealing with the citizens money, not yours.
Russ Carmichael says
Cmon crybabies, let Donna make a little something for the effort.. inflation n all that. And never forget it’s all with YOUR best interests in mind
The dude says
MAGA hates the sunshine.
Go figure.
Doug says
No, no, and no. They already do enough “backdoor” wheeling and dealing out of the public eye. If anything, they need more stringent oversight to prevent the damage they are doing now. Oh, and Hey Dude, I support this administration. Go MAGA.
Endless dark money says
Total circus, we have a full blown Nazi takeover and it barely makes the news. america died without hardly a whimper. Sad and pathetic. How many u think will dies from the orange stains policies? Up to 67 already. I’m betting over a million preventable deaths within a year or so…
Standing in the Middle of Palm Coast Parkway says
Many people ignore that strict conformance to Sunshine restrictions creates situations like we’ve seen in the Flagler County Commission chambers, where some elected Commissioners sit quietly while others raise their voices, slam fists at tables, and walk out. Has anyone noticed that some elected Commissioners’ words to constituents don’t mirror those spoken in the chamber? Does anyone recall a certain recent Commissioner caught on a doorbell camera and their messaging to a voter? What benefit and under-the-table dealings are avoided when Commissioners are required to talk to public safety and law enforcement officials in a meeting open to the public? Where open-to-the-public means constituents can watch and listen but only ask questions during limited public discussion periods. Where the majority of constituents don’t attend meetings and instead rely on reporting from social media, online news sources, and TV/radio sound bites.
Marcia Scott says
The Hillsborough county commission is not a body operating in the light. Their decisions are made in some obscure way influenced by power and money. Hearings on vital growth and infrastructure are held in downtown Tampa at 6 or 6:30 pm while those affected are unable to get downtown at that time due to BOCC decisions of the past making gridlock of all major roads in the country for at least 3 hours morning and evening. They continue to allow huge developments without thought of needed roads or schools or even traffic flow and base them on plans okayed in 2000 or earlier with further study of the needs stating that they cannot tell a developer how his land can be used while putting more and more taxes and restrictions on the individual homeowner each year. They of course want the massive growth to give their politics more clout and to hell with people.
Jane Gentile Youd says
The Sunshine Law is so violated and has been but at least we have a little bit of control over our mostly ‘ Government in the Shade”. If this law is removed from the books I predict total anarchy in Florida followed by a total loss of the middle class as the next chapter. How far back are we going to go? Will the KKK be given their first amendment rights also?
When does this stripping of our legal rights as a government ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’ stop?
Pierre Tristam says
Stop? It’s just getting started.
Laurel says
My Republican husband was a south Florida commissioner, and when I read him the title of the article, he stated that “The Sunshine Law was put in place for a reason: to stop corruption!” “The trafficking angle is bull.” He was able to govern in the Sunshine for years, and all our other commissions should be able to do so as well.
This desire to rule in the dark is extremely suspicious at best. Any person supporting this should be removed from a commission immediately. This type of person is not working for the constituents.
Doug says
At Laurel – It’s rare you hear of a “Republican” commissioner in South Florida. May I ask what county, as I worked in Broward for 28 years.
Laurel says
Doug: Not really. His best buddy, and Silver Star awarded veteran, was a Republican co-commissioner during the same years.
Also, if you look to Cuban American Republican Dade County, I’m sure you’ll find some Republican commissioners there.
Joe D says
The surface reason that government might be better streamlined and simplified if “certain” areas/topics of discussion were excluded from the “public eye” sunshine laws. There ARE valid concerns about situations like the human trafficking issue. However, it’s a SLIPPERY SLOPE to begin taking away the “out in the open” provisions that the SUNSHINE LAWS demand. Once you start making exceptions, the power of the law it taken away!
I for one, I appreciate that (Yes) COMMISSIONERS list outside County conversations and contacts since the last meeting at sometime in the meeting AGENDA. I for one DO try to attend meetings (in person OR on video). Although, being retired affords me a scheduling flexibility that younger working families do not have.
Even WITH the Sunshine Laws fully in place, it appears there has STILL been YEARS of continuing “back room dealing” occurring. For SOME reason Palm Coast seems to be primarily in the SPOTLIGHT recently ( although Bunnell and Flagler Beach have not been immune). I for one HOPE that the SUNSHINE LAWS are not weakened for POLITICAL reasons!
Knowing what our REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT is doing, is a HALLMARK of what it means to be in a true “FREE” DEMOCRACY!
Laurel says
Human and drug trafficking is handled by law enforcement, not county commissioners. That “slippery slope” is a foot in the door for the not so honest among us. Any attempt to squash Florida’s Sunshine Law is to let the corruption in.