Ladies and gentlemen, let's get ready to rumblllllle….
St. Pete's mayor Rick Kriseman, who clearly gets the idea of what it means to be part of #theresistance, announced this morning he would join the lawsuit against Rick Scott.
While there may be many, many reasons you can think of for suing Rick Scott, the one that spurred Kriseman into action was gun violence. No, he's not coming for your guns, so CTFD, OK? What he wants to be able to do — as do 11 other Florida cities (so far) — is to pass local legislation regarding firearms. Currently, if a city passes any laws regarding firearms, our elected leaders who do so can face a $5,000 fine as well as being removed from office.
Kriseman, who once tweeted out his ban on Trump in response to the then-not-yet-president's proposed ban on Muslims, minced no words about his decision:
“I served in the Florida House of Representatives when Governor Scott and legislative leaders decided to overstep their authority and use fear and intimidation as a tactic to preserve the NRA’s agenda. I am proud to join this suit and look forward to the end of state interference in local government,” he said. Funny how when he talks about home rule it doesn't sound like a Confederate uprising, doesn't it?
The lawsuit, for those of you interested in the facts, is Weston v. Scott, and it argues a coupla things of note: One, that the governor is way overstepping by thinking he can remove a local elected official for any reason and two, the law as it stands that won't let local governments pass their own laws without fear of legal penalties is bullshit (OK, the suit doesn't actually use the word "bullshit" but it is definitely inferred).
Weston v. Scott argues that the current law oversteps restrictions on a governor’s limited ability to remove a local elected official from office. The suit also claims the current law infringes on the free speech rights of elected officials and interferes with their ability to perform their official duties without fear of legal penalties.
Certainly, one would think a Republican governor would get this, since the entire party screamed "STATES' RIGHTS!" for about eight years whenever our 44th President tried to do anything. But apparently the idea of home rule doesn't stretch down past Tallahassee.
Fun fact: since 2011, cities will also lose home rule over short-term rentals if they change their short-term rental ordinances, which is why VRBO and Home Away are technically illegal in many Florida places but code officers may choose to turn a blind eye in absence of citizen complaints.
Other cities in the lawsuit include Weston, Miramar, Pompano Beach, Lauderhill, Miami Gardens, South Miami, Pinecrest, Cutler Bay, Miami Beach and Coral Gables, which are all places where NRA money doesn't have a stronghold.
And, in case you're wondering, yes, Pinellas has 23 other cities. Hillsborough has three. None of them have joined the lawsuit. If you think cities should have the right to decide whether the local Bass Pro Shops can sell an AR-15 to an 18-year-old boy, here's how to find out who they are and send 'em an email.
This article appears in Apr 5-12, 2018.