(TheRedWire.com) – A new bill approved by the GOP-dominated Florida state Legislature would stop Republican governor Ron DeSantis from having to resign from his position in order to place a presidential bill.
The measure is part of a much grander elections bill, which would also create an exemption to the Florida law which previously required that anyone seeking office needed to resign from their current position in order to qualify as a candidate for a different position. Under the new exemption, if the officeholder was running for U.S. president or vice president they would not be required to resign.
Supporters of the bill have claimed that the bill was not intentionally created to support DeSantis, who has not yet announced his presidential bid, but he is widely expected to announce his candidacy following the end of the state Legislature. The bill passed the state House 76-34 along party lines, and will now need to be signed into law by DeSantis.
GOP Rep. Ralph Massullo argued during the House debate Friday, that this is for a “unique” “individual office” and it is not “just for our governor” but for “anyone in politics.” Democrats however have claimed that the Republicans were just trying to do “the governor’s bidding” by passing this bill. Rep. Angela Nixon, a Democrat further added that DeSantis should have to resign before being allowed to run for president because “being governor is a full-time job” and campaigning also requires a lot of work.
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