State senators on Tuesday gave their first approval to legislation that First Amendment advocates say is a threat to open government in Florida. The bill (SB 80) would make it more difficult to collect legal fees from government agencies when they illegally block access to records that state law says are supposed to be available to the public. Current law says judges must require agencies to pay attorney fees to people who successfully sue them over records, but Sarasota Republican Sen. Greg Steube’s proposal would let the judge decide whether or not to award fees.
