Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has not published the Government in the Sunshine Manual this year, seemingly breaking an annual effort by attorneys general in the state for decades. The book is typically published in partnership with the Florida First Amendment Foundation and explains Florida’s public records and public meeting laws plus any changes made via case law or the Legislature since the last edition.
The Phoenix verified that the manual has been published every year since 1994, identifying earlier versions, too. A representative from Uthmeier’s office in Tallahassee confirmed to the Phoenix the 2025 edition is the most recently published edition. Uthmeier’s office did not, however, respond to Phoenix questions as to why his office has not published the 2026 manual.
First Amendment Foundation Director Bobby Block said the absence of the manual has resulted in requests “pretty much every day from record custodians, whether they’re from sheriff’s offices or county departments asking, ‘When is the 2026 manual coming out?’” Block doesn’t have an answer.
“If you really look who is suffering from the fact that there is no manual, it’s the clerks of courts, it’s the records’ custodians through agencies around the state, whether it’s municipalities or county government or soil and water boards or school boards, whatever the case may be,” Block told the Phoenix. “… Without this, it becomes more difficult for them to do their job.”
The guides typically appear in the spring of each year. Block said his organization has not received a clear answer as to why the guide has not been published. He speculated it could be because the foundation has opposed Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attempt to rewrite the state’s defamation law or supported legislation to impose stronger penalties on agencies that don’t comply with public records requests.
“Maybe it has nothing to do with FAF’s positions; maybe it has to do with there’s a desire to just kind of sink Florida’s open government laws. I don’t know, because that’s the direct impact,” Block said. No response.
Block said his organization made a records request four weeks ago for a draft of the manual but has not received a responsive record. There is no statutory requirement to publish the manual, although Block said he’d be “encouraging sponsors to make sure publishing the manual becomes a statutory requirement. It’s that important.”
“It has been published out of the sense of pride and obligation since its inception,” Block said. “I find it deeply disturbing,” Block said. “And I find what’s disturbing about it is, Florida has a commitment to its citizens, and when you don’t honor your commitment, and yet you hide behind slogans like ‘the free state of Florida,’ you have to wonder, do those slogans actually mean anything when you’re not honoring the contract that you have with the public?” Block said.
He pointed out that access to public records is a constitutional right in Florida, not a privilege. Uthmeier, appointed AG by Gov. Ron DeSantis in February 2025, is campaigning to keep the position in his own right. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Former Miami Democratic state Sen. José Javier Rodriguez (via Twitter). His opponent, Democrat José Javier Rodríguez, said the guide is too important to go unpublished. “For more than 20 years, I have represented individuals taking on powerful corporations and institutions that have taken advantage of them. I know firsthand how critical our public records and public meetings laws are to holding government accountable,” Rodríguez said in a written statement to the Phoenix. “The Government in the Sunshine Manual is an essential resource for Floridians to understand their rights and hold public officials accountable. As Attorney General, I
