First Amendment Foundation pleased with vetoes

The First Amendment Foundation is pleased with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's two vetoes, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press reported. The group had opposed the first bill, which would have kept sealed any "proprietary business information" the Department of Management received from a telecommunications company. The second bill, for which the organization recommended a veto, would have exempted "information identifying a donor or prospective donor to a publicly owned building."

Florida Governor Charlie Crist last week barred two new exemptions from being added to the state's public records law when he vetoed a pair of bills approved by state lawmakers.

The first would have shielded from public disclosure any "proprietary business information" the Department of Management received from a telecommunications or broadband company. According to The Associated Press, Crist found the term "proprietary business information" too broad to define an exemption, but he encouraged lawmakers to rewrite the bill next year.

The First Amendment Foundation in Tallahassee opposed the bill and tried to get it narrowed during the legislative session. But the group did not recommend the governor veto the measure.

More here.