Florida lawmakers consider adding security for state governor, lieutenant governor nominees
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - With attacks on the president and elected officials from both major parties coming in just the last several years, Florida is about to take action.
The state house passed a bill unanimously on Wednesday that would provide security for nominees for governor and lieutenant governor.
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What they're saying:
Former Rep. David Jolly is used to town halls, given he has held 200 this campaign season, but he'll never get used to the feeling of being exposed.
"Even last night at an event, I wondered as somebody walked in the room," said Jolly. "You're always just judging."
Along with Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, the former congressman is one of two candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for Florida's next governor. Once that nominee is decided — if the state house has its way — they'll be followed by a protective detail, like a sitting governor.
"Virtually all Floridians are committed to the peaceful practice of [politics], and we're all grateful for that," said Jolly. "But, we also have to be concerned about those individuals who think that sometimes violence is an appropriate tool."
Dig deeper:
Just this week, a suspect was killed at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home for pointing a gun at officers. Trump had already been the victim of two other close calls.
Attacks on the governor of Pennsylvania, on state representatives and on a congresswoman in Minnesota, and on political commentator Charlie Kirk, show that being in the game is not risk-free.
"Political violence is an indictment of probably this chapter in American history," said Jolly.
The backstory:
Former State Rep. Paul Renner is running against Rep. Byron Donalds and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins to be the Republican nominee for governor.
"I love a good debate, and I love good debate with a person on the opposite side," said Renner. "I'm a strong conservative, but I love to hear a strong progressive and let's hash it out and do that civilly."
Renner blames a lot of the overheated political climate on social media, which allows for the circulation of unfounded claims and for personal views to be amplified by an algorithm.
"You combine that with the struggles of people are having right now with a variety of different things, and that can lead to problems," said Renner.
Why you should care:
The state senate is considering a companion bill that would also give FDLE security to major party nominees for other cabinet offices, like agriculture commissioner, CFO and state attorney general. State legislators acknowledge there would be a substantial financial cost, but with candidates saying America doesn't seem to be working as intended, what choice is there?
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"We should make that a source of pride as Americans that you and I can disagree on things," said Renner.
"We are grateful that throughout the state you have law enforcement presence at most events and where it is not naturally there, we make sure we have security," said Jolly.
What's next:
The house voted unanimously to approve the bill. The question remains whether the full Senate will get a vote, and if the two chambers can agree on whether security should be for the nominees for governor and lieutenant governor, or whether it should be for the nominee of any cabinet office.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered during interviews with Paul Renner and David Jolly, along with information from the websites of the state house and senate.