Hours after submitting federal paperwork declaring that he was operating for president — and shortly earlier than his plan for a Twitter livestream to launch his marketing campaign went haywire — Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a Florida elections invoice that cleared a possible hurdle.
Florida’s so-called resign-to-run statute may have compelled Mr. DeSantis to resign after he sought the presidency, despite the fact that the authorized questions surrounding the rule have by no means been absolutely settled.
However state lawmakers clarified the law’s language late final month in order that it now not applies to elected officers operating for president or vice chairman. Democrats accused Republicans in Tallahassee of doing a favor for the governor, although with Republican supermajorities controlling each chambers, there was little they may do to cease the measure. Republicans mentioned the outdated legislation was imprecise, and authorized consultants had been divided about whether or not it might have utilized to Mr. DeSantis.
The change to the resign-to-run statute was included in a broader elections invoice. It additionally comprises provisions limiting how third-party teams can register voters.
Voting rights teams have criticized the invoice. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida mentioned it might harm voter-registration organizations “by dramatically rising fines, implementing shorter deadlines on voter registration types, and limiting who can help with voter registration drives,” with a selected impact on efforts to enroll voters of shade.
Reflecting his now twin roles as presidential candidate and governor, Mr. DeSantis spent the morning in Tallahassee listening to clemency requests from folks convicted of felonies. At 6 p.m. Jap, he’s anticipated to go on Twitter and be part of Elon Musk, the platform’s billionaire proprietor, to debate his candidacy.
