Just months ago, Gov. Rick Scott and legislators passed legislation to expand trade secrets and potentially keep more business deals with entertainers from public view.
by Tampa Bay Times’ Mary Ellen Klas
December 16, 2016
The governor signed and all but seven Democrats voted for two bills that expanded the definition of trade secrets to allow more agencies to shield commercial and financial information from the public. The legislation took effect Oct. 1.
If the now controversial Pitbull contract hadn’t already been signed, Visit Florida could have argued that the state law required it keep the contract details secret, said Barbara Petersen, president of the First Amendment Foundation who urged the governor to veto the bill.
“It would allow them to do exactly what Visit Florida did,” she said. “If the amount of a contract is not commercial information, I don’t know what is.”
Pitbull’s $1 million contract with the state has been under fire after House Speaker Richard Corcoran filed a lawsuit asking a court to order Visit Florida to release the details of the rapper’s agreement to promote Florida beaches. [READ MORE]