On Thursday, the Colorado Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing (HCPF) cancelled a policy prohibiting employees from making secret recordings in the office. Governor Bill Ritter, who initially endorsed the new policy, reversed his earlier decision and advised the department to cancel the policy. The Governor should be commended for this decision. By following Federal case law, which has supported the use of secret recordings in whistleblower cases, Governor Ritter re-affirmed the rights of all American workers.
HCPF executives implemented the anti-taping policy in response to an ongoing whistleblower case. Althought the state Department of Labor and Employment ruled the whistleblower was "wrongfully terminated", Governor Ritter has decided to support HCPF instead of the whistleblower. While we applaud the Governor’s decision to uphold the law and oppose the anti-taping policy, now he must make another important decision. The Governor should support oversight and accountability by disciplining HCPF’s directors and defending a Colorado citizen who had the courage to report fraud.
For more on the Governor’s decision to oppose the anti-taping policy please see the Denver Post editorial here.