WFSU
By Margie Menzel
April 17, 2023
A bill is poised for passage in both chambers of the Legislature that would exempt the travel of top state officials from public records requests. It would erase all public records of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s movements — including in his office at the Capitol and his home in the Governor’s Mansion.
The bill is sponsored by Rep. Jeff Holcomb, a Republican from Spring Hill. It creates a public records exemption for all of DeSantis’s movements, for anyone to whom he loans the plane and whomever visits him in Tallahassee. What’s more, it would also be retroactive — and go into effect upon the governor’s signature.
The staff analysis says the exemption is necessary because “the disclosure of such records could reveal the means and methods used in providing security or transportation services and could impair the ability of [the Florida Department of Law Enforcement] or other law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety and security of the protected person, the law enforcement agents, and personnel providing the security or transportation services.”
Rep. Mike Gottlieb, a Democrat from Davie, asked why it would be necessary to the governor’s security to protect his previous travel from the public eye. Here’s Holcomb, the sponsor:
“There could be situations where the governor comes to various parts of Florida, whether it’s to present a bill, meet with various constituents…but that information is out there for various public records requests, and that information could then, with enough time and enough digging and enough effort, might be able to get the security profile of that structure or that building,” Holcomb said.