Florida’s Senate President Is Afraid of The First Amendment

Senate President Wilton Simpson (R-10) continues to assault the Constitution and does so under the color of the law by abusing the power of his office. As Senate President, he has closed the Senate to both the public and lobbyists. The word “lobbyist” often conjures an image of a charlatan, someone who has no scruples and sell out to the highest bidder.

In some cases that is true. But as the Florida Director for Gun Owners of America, I am a lobbyist and Sen. Simpson’s decision means that I cannot enter the Senate nor talk to Senators to represent GOA members. Sen. Simpson’s actions want to stop GOA and others from amplifying your voice in Tallahassee.

As Gun Owners of America’s FL State Director, I’m registered as a lobbyist and I amplify the voices of GOA’s members in Tallahassee.

What does Sen. Simpson think about you? He jokingly suggested the pandemic could have positive benefits for lawmakers.

He let slip what he thinks of us while on The Florida Channel:

“I think we’re going to be a whole lot more productive,” Sen. Simpson said. “And it’s kind of nice, right? It’s kind of like, ‘Hey, this way it should be.’ Does anybody have a problem with 25 lobbyists not piled up in your office? This is going to be a very productive session with all the leeches outside. I mean, not the leeches. Leaves outside.”

But this isn’t just about Sen. Simpson locking me out of the Capitol. This is about Sen. Simpson LOCKING YOU OUT OF THE CAPITOL. Sen. Simpson’s actions prevent you, the voter and constituent from walking into your state capitol and talking to your lawmakers.

Those that hold office in Tallahassee work for you. You have the right to exercise your First Amendment protections and should be able to do so by simply walking into your lawmaker’s office. By Sen. Simpson declaring that the Capitol is closed due to COVID-19, he has effectively silenced you.

Censorship Is A Crime Against Liberty

This isn’t the first time Sen. Simpson has shown a demeaning attitude towards Floridians.

He authored SB 7026, the gun control legislation that passed after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018. He had no problem stripping the lawful rights of honest Floridians by violating the Fourth Amendment to go after the Second Amendment with Red Flag laws. He had no problem stripping any Floridian under the age of 21 from the legal ability of purchasing a long gun with his Under 21 Gun Purchase Ban. He had no problem with the banning of lawful property like Bump Stocks and similar accessories with his convoluted ban on firearm accessories.

Sen. Simpson is using his office as a steppingstone to further crush our rights. He is politically ambitious and coveting the Florida Agricultural Commissioner’s seat in 2022. That would put Sen. Simpson in charge of the agency responsible for issuing Concealed Carry Weapon Permits. He would have no problem siding with Nikki Fried (D-Ag Commissioner) in instituting gun control. Nikki Fried has already hinted that she wants to run for Governor in 2022. That would be a horrible combination in Tallahassee for sure.

Florida is under a Legislative Dictatorship and Wilton Simpson flaunts it.

Locking the public out of the Capitol (a public building) is unacceptable and a violation of your First Amendment rights. It is actions like these that turn Florida into a “Banana Republic.” His decision reeks of authoritarianism and despotism.

Alas, this isn’t the only issue. Currently, Sen. Simpson is also putting pressure on senators to not introduce any positive pro-gun bill. There is a reason why we aren’t seeing any companion bills in the Senate for Constitutional Carry or Campus Carry.

The time for the political carrot is over, now it is the time for the political stick.

GOA has pledged and sworn to defend the Constitution, but we can’t do it without you, the members. We are simply an instrument to amplify your voice in Tallahassee. Let him know what you think about this.

Remember folks, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Be loud, be proud, and be ACTIVE.

Luis Valdes is the Florida Director for Gun Owners of America. 

 

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18 COMMENTS

  3. Thank you for using the word “flaunt’ correctly.

    Also, why doesn’t that traitorous tool get voted out? Must be an advanced case of electoral dysfunction in his district.

    • Used to ask this question about fiendstien (“turn em all in”), polousi(“my ice cream and hair are more than your livelihood”), hank johnson (Guam capsizing guy), shiela lee (10 moving boxes/heat seeking bullets), etc. but what’s the point anymore? Either the system is so corrupt that they can cheat freely, or the education systems just turns out idiots(case and point the 0.13 gpa in to half of his class), or people are so blinded by ideology that they’d vote for buffalo chips as long as it had the “D” (or “R”) beside it.

  5. Like most worthless RINOS the RINO azzhat in question probably duped voters. Once self serving scumbags like him are in office the lies and deceit surface and all that’s left is a turd floating in the punch bowl.

  6. I swear, it’s like a prerequisite for being a RINO asshole to be the Senate president in Florida…. Every. Single. One.

  7. “The time for the political carrot is over, now it is the time for the political stick.”

    *Tar Boiling Intensifies* ?

  9. He’ll be partying with that democrat hack that almost was Governor, as they both trample your rights and freedoms. Sadly Florida has places like Tampa, Miami etc, where the libturd cancer has taken strong root. If Floridians are not careful, the cancer coming to them from New York and the likes will root, and make the disease even worse.

    To be totally honest, The R party is done with anyways. They have been corrupt for the past 30 years, it’s just now finally being blatantly exposed. Time to vote them ALL out of office and just put new everyone in. You can’t cure cancer one piece at a time, you have to kill off the entire mass of it in order to cleanse and have any hopes of a cancer free body. Purge the entire R and D lineup, start fresh.

  10. How convenient.
    Eliminate free speech and disarm the populace.
    History repeats itself.

    Funny that someone who depends on the tax dollar to supply them their positions of power would call those giving them that power “leaches “. Seems it’s the other way around.
    Your leadership has lost its mind America.

  11. Not sure about the lobbyists but I’d think the general voting public would have a pretty good lawsuit against Simpson. Keeping the voters out of their house should easily become a winner to replace him and said legal action should be pursued.

  12. Jose Negron, the last Florida senate president, was also anti gun.
    He did not allow the open carry bill and the campus carry bill to make their way out of committee.
    Plus, while President Trump did do a nationwide bump stock ban, the Florida ban also blocked binary triggers.
    In fact any “rate increasing device” was forbidden.
    The vote of gun owners is taken for granted by the Republican Party.
    We need to leave the stupid rhino party and join a new third-party

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