Florida GOP lawmakers approve shielding DeSantis travel records

[Right_in_Virginia]

Florida GOP lawmakers approve shielding DeSantis travel records
The Hill, May 2, 2023

Republican lawmakers in Florida on Tuesday approved a bill that would shield the travel records of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and other state leaders from public disclosure.

The bill, which passed the Florida House along a party-line vote of 84-31 after clearing the Senate last month, would exempt the travel history of the state’s governor and their immediate family, the lieutenant governor, Cabinet members, Senate president, House speaker and the state Supreme Court’s chief justice from public records laws.

While Republicans argued it is for the safety of the state leaders and law enforcement officials to keep the records from the public, Democrats have blasted the bill, saying it is intended to help DeSantis in his likely run for president.

Democrats argued that while the bill also shields information about where the governor went, it also blocks the disclosure of whom he met with and what for.

The passage of the bill comes as DeSantis has had a packed travel schedule in recent weeks, making national and international trips as he prepares for an expected White House bid.


https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/3984650-florida-gop-lawmakers-desantis-travel-records/

[Right_in_Virginia]

Democrats argued that while the bill also shields information about where the governor went, it also blocks the disclosure of whom he met with and what for.

In contradiction to Florida's long-standing Sunshine Laws.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Lou Dobbs
@LouDobbs

This is not alright:  DeSantis should insist the GOP remove such shielding, and demand transparency!

Who do these Florida Republicans think they are?  Marxist Dems?


7:42 AM · May 3, 2023

[Kamaji]

Oh dear me!  RiV won't know where to go to wave that "I Hate RDS" sign now.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Alex Bruesewitz
@alexbruesewitz

If a Democrat did this everyone on Fox News would be outraged. But since it’s the Murdoch’s puppet candidate they are totally silent.

This is incredibly corrupt! 👇🏼



10:34 AM · May 12, 2023

[libertybele]

In contradiction to Florida's long-standing Sunshine Laws.

To a degree, but at any rate I am not ok with this.

[libertybele]

@Right_in_Virginia  I don't find any other news source reporting this which makes me skeptical if it is true.

[corbe]

[Right_in_Virginia]

@Right_in_Virginia  I don't find any other news source reporting this which makes me skeptical if it is true.

@libertybele

It is true....signed without fanfare:

https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/gov-desantis-signs-bill-that-keeps-his-travel-records-secret/

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/2023/05/12/desantis-signs-bill-to-shield-his-travel-records-from-florida-public-record/

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/11/politics/ron-desantis-state-travel-records-covid-mandate/index.html#:~:text=Florida%20Republican%20Gov.%20Ron%20DeSantis,state's%20robust%20public%20disclosure%20law.

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2023/05/12/desantis-quietly-signs-new-law-sealing-all-of-his-travel-records-from-public-the-law-applies-retroactively/#comments

[bigheadfred]

Whatever the reasoning behind it, this is not a good look for Ron.

[corbe]

    * So is Trump and his Army of MAGA's

[libertybele]

    * So is Trump and his Army of MAGA's

Very true.  I now expect him to soon announce he's running.  He's getting all of his ducks in a row and since Trump has created his record of known smear tactics, DeSantis has probably already planned for that.  DeSantis has a pretty clean slate and a very conservative record.

We shall see.  I'm just nervous to lose him as our governor .... he's done a remarkable job in FL.  The only one I think is equally conservative enough to replace him is Byron Donalds, but I don't know how much fight he has in him.  Then we'd lose a conservative congressman.

There just doesn't seem to be enough conservatives to go around.

[libertybele]

Whatever the reasoning behind it, this is not a good look for Ron.

Political jockeying.

[Kamaji]

Yeah, this is lightyears worse than going along with blowing several trillion dollars the U.S. government did not have, to blow it on liberal policy objectives.

[Free Vulcan]

  I'm just nervous to lose him as our governor .... he's done a remarkable job in FL.  The only one I think is equally conservative enough to replace him is Byron Donalds, but I don't know how much fight he has in him.  Then we'd lose a conservative congressman.

There just doesn't seem to be enough conservatives to go around.

The problem is most of them are newly minted like Huckabee Sanders, Noem, Youngkin, etc. They need more time to fix their own states first.

That and I'm not sure the FedGov can be easily fixed. It will take radical, uncompromising measures to do so. The collection of Red states may shortly be the new Republic.

[Kamaji]

Very true.  I now expect him to soon announce he's running.  He's getting all of his ducks in a row and since Trump has created his record of known smear tactics, DeSantis has probably already planned for that.  DeSantis has a pretty clean slate and a very conservative record.

We shall see.  I'm just nervous to lose him as our governor .... he's done a remarkable job in FL.  The only one I think is equally conservative enough to replace him is Byron Donalds, but I don't know how much fight he has in him.  Then we'd lose a conservative congressman.

There just doesn't seem to be enough conservatives to go around.

[roamer_1]

That and I'm not sure the FedGov can be easily fixed. It will take radical, uncompromising measures to do so. The collection of Red states may shortly be the new Republic.

It is refreshing to read the testimony of refugees, washed up on red state shores... Seeking only normalcy - Americana - and gratefully finding it.

And also disheartening, to read of what they Left.

[roamer_1]

DeSantis has a pretty clean slate and a very conservative record.

So did Cruz. a shining one... A golden one... Before he got Stone-Peckered.
Then the record didn't matter anymore.

Expect more of the same.