Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa — An Iowa bill that would have eliminated public access to many 911 calls is dead this session.
Caleb Hunter, a spokesman for the Iowa Senate’s Republican majority, confirmed Monday the legislation has been taken off the debate calendar.
The bill would’ve declared that 911 calls involving injured victims are medical records and exempt from Iowa’s open records law. All calls regarding minors also would have been confidential.
The legislation was introduced in response to the release of 911 calls to The Associated Press that exposed a string of gun accidents in Iowa. While the bill was approved unanimously in the Iowa House, opposition mounted after the AP reported on it.
Hunter says some Republicans had concerns about the bill’s impact on body cameras, since the measure included language regarding video.