Sun-Sentinel by Steve Bouquet
November 6, 2019
Here we go again. The 2020 session of the Legislature hasn’t even begun and lawmakers are almost tripping over each other as they try to create new and questionable loopholes in Florida’s public records laws.
This is in addition to the 1,122 exemptions already on the books, eroding the public’s right to know despite a constitutional right of access to government information.
This dangerously slippery slope was on full display this week in the Senate, with predictable results. All six members of the Senate Judiciary Committee unquestioningly agreed to a bill (SB 248) to carve a new exemption for the home address, date of birth, phone number, birth date and photo of every county attorney and assistant county attorney in the state. These are public employees paid by us who provide legal advice to local governments. If you might ever need to find one of them after this bill becomes law, you’re out of luck.