Florida House committee passes 911 privacy bill

A Florida House panel has approved a bill aimed at barring the public from hearing 911 calls unless a judge rules in favor to make an exception.

Nate Lee – the husband of Denise Amber Lee, who in 2008 was kidnapped, raped and murdered by Michael King – and his family struggled with the state’s decision to make public Denise’s call to 911 on her killer’s cell phone just before her death.

But Lee also credits public access with making a difference when it came to reviewing the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office bungling of the call that some believe could have helped save her life.

“I’m not really a big fan of this bill,” Lee said. “I think it’s a bad bill.”