Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, like a few other Republicans, hasn’t tried to combat the novel coronavirus even though COVID-19 is surging in the Sunshine State at an alarming rate. DeSantis went as far as to threaten schools that choose to issue a mask mandate even though less than a week before schools were set to reopen in Florida’s Broward County; local union officials said that three educators had died of complications from the coronavirus. Last week, though, Circuit Judge John Cooper called it unconstitutional, and now, the Republican Governor just took another loss, this time with his anti-riot law.
The Florida Phoenix reports that q federal judge has barred enforcement of one of DeSantis’s signature legislative achievements this year, and we’re sure he won’t be happy about this one, either.
In Tallahassee, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled Thursday on HB 1; his Black Lives Matter-inspired crackdown on protests — stating that its redefinition of “riot” is vague enough to cover perfectly legal behavior, the outlet reports. Walker ruled that the law’s definition of the word is so vague that people cannot understand what they’d need to do to avoid arrest if a protest gets out of hand.
He further noted that police could apply their own interpretations.
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“Gov. DeSantis cannot credibly argue that this new definition of ‘riot’ was not intended to empower law enforcement officers against those who may criticize their legal authority, as he has referred to the proposed legislation that led to HB 1 as ‘the strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement piece of legislation in the country, and referred to HB1’s critics as ‘anti-police,” Walker wrote, according to the outlet.
Walker said that DeSantis appeared to be issuing a threat.
“Gov. DeSantis further promised to have ‘a ton of bricks rain down on’ those who violate the law when he unveiled HB 1’s preceding proposed legislation. Through this new definition of ‘riot,’ he appears to have done just that, using a threat of selective enforcement as his rain clouds.”
Walker further said that it could be weaponized by those in power.
“Though plaintiffs claim that they and their members fear that it will be used against them based on the color of their skin or the messages that they express, its vagueness permits those in power to weaponize its enforcement against any group who wishes to express any message that the government disapproves of,” he wrote.
DeSantis plans to appeal the ruling.
“That’s a foregone conclusion in front of that court. So, we will win out on appeal; I guarantee you we will win that on appeal,” DeSantis said. “Just like we’ll win the parent’s rights one on appeal, just like we won almost anything out of Tallahassee on appeal, that’s just kind of the way the cookie crumbles.”
DeSantis has been seen as a rising star in his party and possibly a 2024 GOP nominee for the presidency. But, with the virus surging in his state while he throws his arms in the air, apparently not aware of how to keep his constituents safe, he may have some roadblocks to his political aspirations.
You can read the full report here.
Featured image via Gage Skidmore/Flickr, under Creative Commons license 2.0
