Jason Brodeur bill would let state regulate presidential libraries, protecting a future Donald Trump facility

Happy birthday, Jason Brodeur.

New legislation could give the state government control over presidential libraries, in a move seemingly designed to stop local interference against a future facility for President-elect Donald Trump.

Sen. Jason Brodeur and co-introducer Don Gaetz are carrying SB 118, which preempts to the state “all regulatory authority over the establishment, maintenance, activities, and operations of presidential libraries,” and blocks “counties, municipalities, or other political subdivisions from enacting or enforcing any ordinance, resolution, rule, or other measure regarding presidential libraries unless authorized by federal law.”

Central to the legislative premise is the idea that such libraries are “unique national institutions designated to house, preserve, and make accessible the records of former presidents.”

The bill adopts the federal definition of a presidential library adopted federally in 1986 by an act of Congress back when Ronald Reagan was the Chief Executive, encompassing “research facilities and museum facilities,” and enshrining them as part of the National Archives system.

The federal legislation actually applied to Presidents after Reagan, such as George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as it took effect for Presidents inaugurated for their first terms after 1985, which was when Reagan’s second and final term as President began.

The bill does not have a House companion at this writing, but expectations are that one will follow soon enough. It would take effect once signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Palm Beach County hasn’t embraced its most famous resident, with legislators on the county level mulling special taxes to punish the President in his first term. With that in mind, there are salient reasons for Tallahassee to take control of a facility honoring the state’s first President.