Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried (D) are both taking shots at President Joe Biden’s administration simultaneously. While each official’s reasoning for opposition to the Biden administration is rooted in different policy priorities, it shows a unique circumstance in which Fried and DeSantis, who are usually at opposite ends of the spectrum, are directing their angst to Washington.
Fried announced she filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) over a federal rule that prohibits Floridians with a medical marijuana card from accessing their concealed weapons license. Fried’s lawsuit said the rule “is a violation of medical marijuana cardholders’ Second Amendment rights.”
Fried additionally notes that “nothing in Florida law precludes a medical marijuana patient from obtaining a concealed weapon or firearm license.”
In an official statement from the Florida Department of Agriculture (FDACS), the commissioner called the federal rule “inconsistent” and “incoherent.”
“While we continue to call for full cannabis legalization to resolve the many issues caused by irrational, inconsistent, and incoherent federal cannabis policies, we are here today to announce we are filing suit against the federal government over its violation of patients’ Second Amendment rights due to federal law deeming it illegal for a medical marijuana cardholder to purchase a firearm,” Fried said.
DeSantis’ objection to Biden is related to federal mask mandates as he called for Biden to “acknowledge the misery he imposed.”
“It’s fitting that the Free State of Florida was home to the ruling that unmasked millions of Americans on airplanes and other forms of transport,” DeSantis said referencing the ruling that axed Biden’s federal transportation mask mandate. “Biden needs to drop any appeal attempts and acknowledge the misery he imposed on so many of our airline employees and passengers.”
It’s fitting that the Free State of Florida was home to the ruling that unmasked millions of Americans on airplanes and other forms of transport.
Biden needs to drop any appeal attempts and acknowledge the misery he imposed on so many of our airline employees and passengers. pic.twitter.com/ZbRui7A939
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) April 20, 2022
Despite the nearly two-year rule, masks effectively showed no effectiveness in halting transmission of COVID and many experts even said so during the beginning of the pandemic.
Since then, DeSantis has fought the forced masking by never implementing a statewide mask mandate and issuing an executive order last summer before the school year started banning mask mandates.
As a result, months-long debates between rogue school districts and the state ensued eventually leading to all school districts dropping mask mandates.
The Biden administration said it would be appealing the ruling from the Florida judge that struck down the federal travel mask mandate.
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Grant Holcomb is a reporter at The Florida Capital Star and The Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
