Warning of a “slippery slope,” a non-profit First Amendment group requested that the Florida Legislature withdraw a bill giving public-records exception to the email addresses given to tax collectors for sending notices to taxpayers.
On Tuesday, Senate Community Affairs Committee considered SB 538, filed by Sen. Jack Latvala. Rep. Ed Hooper filed the House companion (HB 421).
The Senate bill states email addresses submitted to tax collectors for the purposes of sending tax notices are currently public records “and, when combined with other personal identifying information, can be used for identity theft, taxpayer scams, and other invasive contacts.”
In a letter to Latvala sent Monday, the First Amendment Foundation argued there is “no factual evidence to support” that a public-records exemption is required to prevent identity theft. The Tallahassee-based group warned adoption of the bill could result in broader implications.
“This particular legislation protects only those email addresses obtained by tax collectors,” said FAF President Barbara Petersen. “If passed, it would create the proverbial slippery slope of Mt. Everest proportions, Senator, provoking similar unnecessary and unsubstantiated exemptions, affecting all government business conducted electronically, creating major problems with efficiency, and increasing costs associated with obtaining public records.”
