Anthony Sabatini, far-right groups target Kathleen Passidomo for blocking culture war bills

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 11/22/22-Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, speaks during Organizational Session, Tuesday at the Capitol in Tallahassee. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

Culture wars haven’t dominated this Legislative Session the same as last year, especially in the Senate. That has left far-right activists angry at Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.

The Lake County Republican Party passed a resolution censuring the Senate President. The county GOP Chair, congressional candidate and former state Rep. Anthony Sabatini, attacked the Naples Republican online as a “spineless RINO.”

A day later, the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida inducted the Naples Republican into its “Oath Breakers Hall of Shame.”

“As the conscience of the Republican Party we believe it’s our responsibility to call out the power players in Tallahassee,” said caucus Chair Bob White.

But Passidomo’s campaign tossed aside the complaints as self-interested pandering.

“It’s extremely disappointing to see Anthony Sabatini slandering conservative leaders in Florida in a selfish attempt to advance his own campaign,” said Amanda Bevis, a political spokesperson for Passidomo.

Bevis said Republicans voters showed in the Midterms who they believed should lead the party. In that election cycle, Sabatini lost a congressional Primary to now-U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, a New Smyrna Beach Republican. Meanwhile, Passidomo, in addition to winning re-election to the Senate unopposed, led Florida Senate Republicans to a supermajority.

“Anthony Sabatini lost the support of his own constituents in 2022, the same election cycle that Kathleen Passidomo led the campaign operation that elected the largest Senate Republican supermajority in more than a decade,” Bevis said.

“Since then, while Sabatini is throwing irrelevant slights from the sidelines, Kathleen Passidomo has been busy at work alongside Governor Ron DeSantis and Speaker Paul Renner passing the most conservative agenda since Republicans earned majority control of state government.”

Halfway through Session, the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) adopted a legislative agenda, listing party activists’ top 10 priority bills. But even then, more than half the bills had already died, most in the Senate.

At this point, the top seven bills on that list appear dead in the Senate, including bills imposing term limits for County Commissioners, barring nonprofits from gender sensitivity training, banning Pride flags on public property, protecting Confederate monuments, making gold and silver legal tender, reducing the buying age for all guns to 18, and prohibiting gender changes on driver’s licenses.

After the RPOF approved the list, Passidomo told reporters the list would not guide the legislative process. “Our bill process is not the Republican Party of Florida,” she said in a press gaggle.

But as far-right voices target Passidomo, her campaign touted her record as one of the most conservative leaders in the history of the Legislature.

“As Senate President, Kathleen Passidomo successfully passed legislation that expands school choice, empowers parents in the lives of their children, secures our borders, supports law enforcement, protects innocent life, creates opportunities for career education and provides millions in tax relief to Florida families, all while passing balanced budgets that pay off state debt and set aside record reserves,” Bevis said.

“That’s a record any conservative would be proud of.”