The Sarasota Herald Tribune
WASHINGTON, DC — As Sunshine Week kicked off in the state capitol on Monday, open government advocates had an unexpected reason to celebrate.
House Speaker Larry Cretul made a surprising decision to pull his support from a bill that would have shielded 911 emergency phone call tapes from public review, likely killing the bill’s chance for passage in this legislative session.
Cretul, R-Ocala, had promoted the legislation after hearing a complaint from the president of the Florida Farm Bureau. John Hoblick had been upset by hearing the tape recording of a 911 call broadcast on television after his 16-year-old son died after a night of drinking.
Cretul’s push for the legislation was evident in the first House committee vote last week when House Speaker Pro Tempore Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton, temporarily joined the Governmental Affairs Policy Committee to make sure the legislation had enough support. It cleared the panel in an 8-5 vote.
But Cretul, whose legislative district includes the Florida Farm Bureau headquarters, realized the bill faced several obstacles, including a possible veto by Gov. Charlie Crist.
“He reached the conclusion that it’s time to take a breather on this issue,” said Jill Chamberlin, the speaker’s communications director. “He still continues to believe that this bill is an important piece of legislation, but at the present time, he doesn’t want it to become a distraction.”
Supporters had advanced the 911 bill, saying keeping the call tapes confidential would protect the privacy of victims and their families who use emergency services. A transcript of the 911 calls would have been available 60 days after the incident and the bill provided that some tapes could become available based on a court order.
Opponents said the legislation would preclude victims from getting tapes of their own calls and hinder efforts to monitor the quality of emergency responses.
A similar bill was not under consideration in the Senate.
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