The Attorney General filed a notice of appeal last night seeking to overturn the state’s loss in Weston v. DeSantis, in which courts ruled that Florida’s gun preemption law’s punitive provisions are unconstitutional. As the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services had been named in the case dating back to the prior administration, Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried offered the following statement in response:
“The Florida gun preemption law’s punishments are some of the most extreme anywhere in the nation – and the courts have rightly ruled them unconstitutional. Our state shouldn’t threaten local elected mayors and councilmembers with fines, lawsuits, and removal from office. We should restore local democracy and allow communities to consider common-sense local measures that reflect their values. That’s why I’ve directed the Attorney General to remove my Department from the appeal she filed last night – an appeal that is not only a waste of taxpayer money and time, but the wrong direction for our state.”
