Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vote No; Amend | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Negative |
HB 1061 is overly broad. If an actor filmed an officer and their badge number was visible, the actor could be subject to be charged for this offense. If a media outlet with a penchant for "data journalism" decides to list every police officers’ salary in the state of Texas, its publisher and employees could also be subject to charges under this offense.
This bill goes against our individual liberty principle because it is a most restrictive way to address the problem associated with keeping police officer’s personal information private. There is also already an offense to possess identifying information under Sec. 32.51 of the Penal Code. So we oppose this House bill in the form sent to the floor.
However, it must also be said that limiting the scope of what could be considered personal, private, or confidential information would preserve both the public and officer's Individual Liberty. An amendment which addresses the specifics of what is "personal," "private," or "confidential" should rectify our concerns with this bill.