TALHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) – Now that the state budget has passed, all eyes are on Gov. Ron DeSantis and his red denial pen.
One of the Chopping Block bills this year was a bipartisan effort aimed at curbing political funding from government buildings in Florida.
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Before the governor’s veto, House Bill 1445 prohibited state officials from using public office to fund campaigns, requiring that department heads and top agency executives should live in the same county as the agency headquarters, and set citizenship requirements for the board of governors and university fiduciaries.
However, Desantis cited the final provisions only as his reason for refusing to take action, leaving the rest unadded.
This veto rekindled debate between the governor and Florida House of Representatives, particularly in light of an NBC report that shared that two top staff members from DeSantis’ office were raising funds and calling for a political committee.
According to NBC, Desantis’ office has denied calls that have occurred so far, but these allegations have raised an ethical red flag.
“I think Governor DeSantis, who rejects this bill, is proof that he doesn’t care about cleaning up the swamps, that he is a swamp and that he is very happy that the members of his administration, who are paid in state taxes, are also paid in state times.”
Earlier this year, House Speaker Danny Perez addressed growing concerns, saying that Tallahassee was undergoing change.
“I don’t know if you can tell, but the house is trying to reconstruct and rewrite the way Tallahassee works today,” said House Speaker Danny Perez (R-Miami). “Just because it’s working in a certain way over the past few decades doesn’t mean it’s working in a proper position.”
Lawmakers haven’t seen any action or veto overrides taking place this summer, as the session is extended 45 days after the deadline, but similar laws could launch the next session.
“This was a clear priority for Congress, so I don’t think the fight over transparency and government accountability is over,” Rep. Eskamani said.
