A.G. Gancarski
Gov. Ron DeSantis may not have to go through the motions of saying he’s not running for President for much longer.
A strike-all amendment to an elections bill (SB 7050) in the Senate clarifies the murkiness surrounding Florida’s resign-to-run law.
If Sen. Travis Hutson’s proposal is approved, the language will exempt anyone who is running for President or Vice President from resign-to-run requirements.
“The amendments made to s. 99.012, Florida Statutes, by this act are intended to clarify existing law,” the new language stipulates.
“Any person seeking the office of President or Vice President of the United States is not subject to the requirements of chapter 99, Florida Statutes, which govern candidate qualifying, specifically those which require the submission of certain documents, full and public disclosures of financial interests, petition signatures, or the payment of filing fees. This section shall take effect upon this act becoming a law.”
The law would take effect July 1.
The bill was filed as a shell at the end of March, raising immediate speculation about what the legislation might address. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo downplayed concerns that the bill ultimately would address ambiguities in resign-to-run.
“We’re still researching whether or not we really need it,” she said. “We just haven’t had time to do it.”
Passidomo offered a statement Tuesday about the amendment.
“From the day I was sworn in last November, the resign-to-run issue has been a topic of much conversation – primarily driven by the media – causing distraction from other important business. I studied the current resign-to-run provisions of Florida law, as I indicated I would.”
Passidomo believed the Governor’s potential 2024 campaign was already covered based on the current law.
“In my view, it is already apparent that resign-to-run does not apply to presidential and vice presidential candidates. Under our law, the timeline for resigning is entirely based on qualifying. Presidential and vice presidential candidates do not have to qualify. Presidential and vice presidential nominees (other than write-in candidates) are decided by their respective political parties at national conventions. Currently, they do not have to complete a candidate’s oath, pay a qualifying fee, fill out a financial disclosure, or turn in any of the other qualifying documentation and paperwork required of candidates for other offices,” she added.
“Senator Hutson’s amendment makes no changes to the process for nominating candidates for President and Vice President, which is governed by political parties, not Florida law. It simply adds clarity to current law and eliminates any ambiguity.”
“To have any President or Vice President from our state would be a great honor. I don’t want a candidate to have any problems because of a perceived ambiguity in our laws. In my view, it is always preferable that decisions to clarify our laws come from the Legislature, not the courts. Providing unequivocal clarity on this issue is in the best interest of our state long-term, regardless of who is running for President now or in the future,” Passidomo concluded.
The revised language will be a blow to another, already confirmed candidate for President.
Donald Trump’s campaign issued a memo asserting DeSantis’ “campaign travel appears to put him at odds with Florida’s existing ‘Resign to Run’ law,” but the law doesn’t pertain to travel at all. While Trump’s assertion was debatable at best, it’s clear now that all confusion is set to be eliminated.
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Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics contributed to this report.
8 comments
Ocean Joe
April 25, 2023 at 3:16 pm
They work for him, not us.
Dont Say FLA
April 25, 2023 at 3:18 pm
Rhonda’s Panties already didn’t have to say he resigns. Resign-to-run applies only to qualified candidates and ole Ron Duh sure AF ain’t qualified to be US President, same as his orange master ain’t qualified and if you are a believer the constitutional afterthoughts commonly known as amendments, the treasonous orange freak is barred very clearly and in no uncertain terms by the 14th amendment from running ever again for President.
Ron Duh is transitioning
April 25, 2023 at 3:22 pm
“Transitioning is not for the gender confused. It’s for me, the generally confused,” said Rhonda’s Panties from Japan where no interested party was available for slapping the sheet out of him. Bull variety.
Beavis and Bu44head
April 25, 2023 at 3:31 pm
Breakin the law Breakin the law Breakin the law .. They wouldn’t be changing the law if Ron DeSanties wasn’t Breakin the law Breakin the law Breakin the law. Everything today GOP types say, it’s a confession.
Beavis
April 25, 2023 at 4:52 pm
🔥Fire, fire, fire! 🔥 Yeah hmm hmm heh… Trump got fired.
Somebodys Nose
April 25, 2023 at 3:35 pm
Travis Hutson obviously knows Ron can’t win. That’s why he’s changing the rules in the middle of the game especially for Ron DeSantis, just so Ron doesn’t go and resign for nothing. But if you stop and think about it, Ron’s resignation would be a huge win for Florida and Floridians. Travis should be disambiguating the law to make it even clearer that Ron would have to resign to run.
Billy the Bamboozler
April 25, 2023 at 4:50 pm
Florida’s own Putin and Xi Jinping. When the laws regarding your election don’t reflect what you intend to do.. just change the law or the rules. Of course his cronies will give him a boost. Good news is, neither him nor Trump will win in 2024. He’s wasting his time until 2028.
JD
April 26, 2023 at 7:39 am
And there it is. He will announce in July. It’s so criminal and organized it’s an episode of the Sorpranos.
Hey Floridah, where is DeSantis’ loyalty to his state? We should feel “proud” to get screwed without even a kiss.
“It’s not the heat, it’s the stupidity.”
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