Just before U.S. Senator Dick Durbin was scheduled to host a hearing in Tampa on Florida's controversial elections law, Tallahassee Republicans who were instrumental in getting the legislation passed last year are now acting coy about discussing the bill.
The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that the bill's two sponsors — Miami Senator Miguel de la Portilla and Ocala Representative Dennis Baxley — as well as Lakeland legislators Paula Dockery and Seth McKeel are fighting a request to be deposed by activist groups suing to overturn the law.
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The Sentinel quotes Senator de la Portilla as saying "Our general counsel has advised us when we have litigation going, don't comment to the media. Having said that, I don't care to comment any more on the issue of discovery or depositions, or this, that or the other."
This article appears in Jan 19-25, 2012.