(not The Onion) FLA bill seeks "absolute privilege" for lawmakers being sued by constituents [View all]

[nashville_brook]

Hooboy. So much coming out of Tallahassee at the same time.

This is legislation is a direct assault on redistricting which we passed by more than 60% on a statewide referendum which amended the Florida constitution to require "fair districts." The whole reason we have a GOP-controlled statehouse is b/c of outrageous gerrymandering.

Lawmakers vote to shield themselves from questions

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-civil-immunity-for-lawmakers-20120216,0,1011957.story
By Aaron Deslatte, Tallahassee Bureau Chief
6:36 p.m. EST, February 16, 2012

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."

Republicans on the panel said the move was necessary because more and more groups – teachers, unions, and others – are filing lawsuits against the Legislature and attempting to compel lawmakers and their staff to testify about the "legislative intent" behind what they've passed.

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