GOVERNOR CRIST ANNOUNCES SUNSHINE WEEK ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS
March 19, 2008
Contact:
GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE
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TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today announced the winners of the 2008 Sunshine Week Essay Contest. Florida high school students had the opportunity to submit essays relating to open government. Sunshine Week, March 16-22, 2008, celebrates the State of Florida’s dedication to making state and local government more accessible to the public.
“Open government is important to the citizens of our state, and it is good for young people to be involved in the democratic process,” Governor Crist said. “I commend our three winners and the more than 800 Florida high school students who participated in the contest. These young people are our leaders of tomorrow.”
The student essays answered the question, “What role does open government play within a democratic society and a democratic government?” The first place winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship, the second place winner will receive a $2,500 scholarship, and third place will receive a $1,500 scholarship. All winners will receive recognition at an event at the Governor’s Mansion. The winners are as follows:
First Place: Jordan Loar, Fort Walton Beach High School, 12th Grade
Second Place: Nathaniel Fritz, Western High School, 11th Grade, Davie
Third Place: Ryan Menard, H. B. Plant High School, 9th Grade, Tampa
The essay contest’s Supporting Sponsor is LexisNexis; Teen Outreach Sponsor is Florida Trend magazine’s Next—Your Future After High School in Florida; and Friends Sponsors are First Amendment Foundation and Barbara Peterson. The Sunshine Week Essay Contest was developed by the Governor’s Volunteer Florida Foundation, the Executive Office of the Governor, the Governor’s Mansion Foundation and the Department of Education.
In 2002, the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors launched Sunshine Sunday to increased public and legislative awareness of Florida’s strong public record and open meeting laws. After Florida’s trailblazing actions to establish the establish these laws many other states adopted Sunshine Sunday, which resulted in the American Society of Newspaper Editors designating a Sunshine Week in March 2005 and each year thereafter.
Last week Governor Crist issued “A Week of Sunshine” Proclamation recognizing March 16-22, 2008, as Sunshine Week for the citizens of the State of Florida. The Proclamation urges citizens to celebrate Florida’s dedication to making state and local government more accessible to the public.
Governor Crist made his commitment to the Sunshine Laws evident in his inaugural address. As Florida’s 44th Governor, he made open government a top priority. He quoted President Abraham Lincoln, pledging under his watch that Florida government would be “of the people, by the people and for the people.” The next day, in his first Executive Order, Governor Crist established the Office of Open Government and charged it with providing the Governor’s Office and all state agencies the tools necessary to serve the people of Florida in a professional and efficient manner. The Governor created a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information from day one.
On June 19, 2007, the Governor appointed the Commission on Open Government Reform. He charged the nine-member Commission to review and evaluate the public’s right of access to government meetings and records. The commission has held three public hearings throughout the state and plans to hold a forth hearing in May. The Commission will submit their findings and recommendations to the Governor, the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives by December 31, 2008.
The Office of Open Government has collaborated with 36 state agencies and 11 State Universities to assist citizens seeking access to public records and the public servants who work for them. Additionally, Governor Crist changed the clemency process to make it more transparent for clemency applicants. Furthermore, he issued Executive Order 07-294; creating a Citizens Open Government Bill of Rights to support citizen access to Florida state agencies. Governor Crist also created a partnership with Google Inc. to make state agencies’ Web sites more accessible to the citizens of Florida.
For more information on Open Government, please visit: www.flgov.com/og_home.