Florida is going from bad to worse. There's no bottom.
Lawmakers vote to shield themselves from questions
TALLAHASSEE – A House committee voted Thursday for a bill that would shield legislators and their staffs from ever being required to testify or produce public records when they get sued.
The Republican-controlled Legislature's proposal to grant itself what's called "absolute privilege" in any civil suit or legal proceeding emerged for the first time Wednesday, the sixth week of the nine-week lawmaking session and less than one week after the Florida Democratic Party filed a lawsuit challenging its redistricting maps.
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee blasted the last-minute proposal as a blatant attempt to "hide the ball" concerning its redistricting efforts, which are expected to draw additional lawsuits from defenders of the Fair Districts amendments that voters passed in 2010. However, one Democrat on the committee -- Rep. John Patrick Julien of North Miami Beach -- joined the committee's dozen Republicans in voting for it.
"I think timing is telling," said Rep. Darren Soto, an Orlando Democrat on the panel. "What it's telling me is that this is an attempt to shield legislators from depositions in the redistricting process."
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-civil-immunity-for-lawmakers-20120216,0,1011957.story
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