This week has truly been a week of firsts. Florida joined the rest of the nation to participate in "Sunshine Week," a yearly week-long commemoration of open government. Florida, the first state to begin this observance with Sunshine Sunday in 2002, has long been a leader in ensuring the public's access to information.

As Floridians, we are fortunate that the sun shines not only on our faces but also sheds light into our government. The Sunshine Law creates a window for Floridians to look through to observe and participate in the democratic process.

Monday, I had the privilege of signing into law the first bill of the 2007 Legislative Session, the Anti-Murder Act. Throughout the day, I was joined in Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, Deltona and Tallahassee by local elected officials and members of the law enforcement community, as well as families of child murder victims. I am so grateful for their support of this important legislation. The children of Florida are our first priority, and the Anti- Murder Act makes them safer by keeping individuals who violate the privilege of probation off of our streets.

At the ceremonial bill signing in Ft. Lauderdale, I was joined by John Walsh, father of slain child Adam Walsh, a tremendous advocate of public safety and host of America's Most Wanted. John Walsh was instrumental in the federal passage of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act in July of 2006. The act enables child protection investigators to have direct online access to criminal history records and warrants. The Florida Department of Children and Families is the first state agency in the country to implement the program.

The technology is already enhancing the state's ability to protect child victims of abuse and neglect. Florida once again leads the way for the rest of the nation by providing unprecedented access to technology that will help protect both the victims of child abuse and neglect and the public servants charged with protecting them.

On Wednesday, I had the honor of participating in the ceremony where the first African American female justice of the Florida Supreme Court and the first female president of a Florida community college were inducted into the Florida Women's Hall of Fame.

Later in the week, I had the opportunity to ride on the nation's first hybrid school bus. The Manatee County School District purchased two buses, which are projected to reduce by 50 to 90 percent carbon emissions that contribute to global climate change.

We are able to celebrate all of these Florida firsts because of the rich culture and tradition that has made our state so strong. This week we marked the beginning of the fourth annual Florida Heritage Month, celebrated from March 15 through April 15. During the upcoming weeks, Floridians will have the opportunity to appreciate Florida's rich cultural heritage. To mark the occasion, Lt. Governor Kottkamp and I joined Secretary of State Kurt S. Browning to dedicate the latest installation of the Indian Heritage Tableau sculptures downtown in Tallahassee. The American Royalty sculpture represents the residents who lived in Florida during the time of the first European contact.

So many people contribute to the complex history of our great state and to the rich diversity of cultures we see today. I look forward to participating in other events throughout Florida Heritage Month and celebrating many more firsts for our state in the weeks and months ahead.