Al Lawson lashes out after House fails to rename Tallahassee court for Black justice

A vote to rename a Tallahassee courthouse after the Florida Supreme Court’s first Black justice failed Wednesday in the House. U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, a Tallahassee Democrat, fumed at colleagues, particularly those in the Florida delegation, about the vote.

Lawson, a Tallahassee Democrat, introduced legislation (HR 4771) last July to rename a federal courthouse in Tallahassee after Justice Joseph Woodrow Hatchett. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott introduced similar legislation in October, and Rubio ushered the bill to be passed through unanimous consent in the upper chamber.

But a vote on the bill in the House failed, with a number of Florida members voting against it.

“I am extremely disappointed in my Republican colleagues who voted against the measure, especially since the bill passed unanimously in the Senate,” Lawson said. “The companion bill which was led by Sen. Rubio received bipartisan support and conservative members of the Florida delegation signed onto the bill as co-sponsors. To witness on the House Floor, Republican votes change in disapproval of the bill during the final seconds of roll call, was abhorrent.”

“Nay” votes included Panama City Republican Neal Dunn, whose district covers Tallahassee. Naples Republican Byron Donalds, one of two Black Republicans in the House, also voted “no.”

The bill isn’t completely dead though. The Wednesday vote was on suspending the rules and fast-tracking passage, which requires a two-thirds vote. The tally came in with 238 “yea” votes and 187 “nay” votes. That means the vote failed. Only Republicans voted against the measure, including Gus Bilirakis, Vern Buchanan, Kat Cammack, Donalds, Dunn, Scott Franklin, Matt Gaetz, Brian Mast, John Rutherford and Greg Steube.

That’s all the more surprising given every member of the Florida congressional delegation had co-sponsored the legislation when it was introduced. The only Florida member of Congress not signed on as a co-sponsor was Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who was just elected in January and voted for the bill.

Aides for some of the Representatives who voted “no” on the renaming say late-breaking questions about Hatchett’s record prompted concerns. One shared a 1999 report of a controversial majority opinion written by Hatchett that said Florida schools could not have student-led prayers at graduation ceremonies.

Hatchett died last April.

Word about Hatchett’s controversial ruling was spread by Rep. Andrew Clyde, a Georgia Republican, according to Lawson. Clyde on Thursday also gave a speech on the House floor slamming Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, and accused her of issuing light sentences on child abusers and sex predators. Jackson would be the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court and the first from Florida.

Lawson specifically critiqued Clyde.

“The Republican Congressman of Georgia, Andrew Clyde, who prompted the opposition of the bill by sharing a 1999 ruling by Judge Hatchett, in fact, followed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Lee v. Weisman regarding student prayer in public schools,” Lawson said. “Clyde is also one of the three Members who opposed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act.”

No Florida Representatives voted against making lynching a federal crime.

Lawson said the vote does not change the fact Hatchett remains a Florida hero.

“Judge Hatchett was a true social justice pioneer and public servant who devoted his career to advocating for civil rights. Hatchett was dedicated to his home state of Florida, where he served in many positions in the military and the federal and local justice systems. It would’ve been an honor to recognize such a leader,” Lawson said. “The final vote for the measure was 238-187. Unfortunately, it did not receive the two-thirds majority to head to President Biden’s desk.”