David Silverberg
WHEREAS Southwest Florida has suffered from harmful algae blooms and red tide;
WHEREAS the Press Club of Southwest Florida stands for press freedom and public access to all official meetings and actions affecting the health and wellbeing of Southwest Floridians;
WHEREAS the letter and intent of the Sunshine Law of Florida calls for press and public access to all official meetings in their entirety where decisions may be made;
WHEREAS the roundtable discussion of harmful algae blooms scheduled for Tuesday, May 7 at the Emergent Technology Institute of Florida Gulf Coast University by federal, state and local government officials is closed to the press and public;
WHEREAS the press and public of Southwest Florida have a vital interest in the issues and outcomes being considered in this roundtable meeting;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Press Club of Southwest Florida, a non-profit, non-partisan organization that stands for freedom of the press and excellence in journalism, calls for the following:
A) That organizers of this meeting should immediately open it to full, live coverage by the press and attendance by the public throughout its duration;
B) That no future meeting of this sort attended by public officials and of vital interest to the press and public should be closed to the press and public;
C) That the letter and spirit of the Florida Sunshine Law be obeyed;
D) That it is vital to a democratic, constitutional society that First Amendment freedom of the press and full media access to critical government functions be upheld and the Press Club of Southwest Florida is dedicated to those principles.