Latest news with #SenateCommitteeonCommunityAffairs
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill that will help Trump build his presidential library in Florida goes to the governor's desk
President Donald Trump signed an executive order March 14, 2025, imposing dramatic cuts on seven federal agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services. () The Florida House has passed a measure (SB 118) that bans local governments in the state from interfering with any plans to construct a presidential library in Florida. The motivation for the legislation comes from Florida Republicans who want to ease the pathway for a library for Donald Trump to be built in the Sunshine State. 'As the home to the 45th and 47th president of the United States, there is a high likelihood that President Trump will select Florida to be the site of his presidential library,' Central Florida Republican Jason Brodeur told the Senate Committee on Community Affairs back in February when he first introduced the measure. 'In anticipation of Florida's first presidential library, we should roll out the welcome mat and offer the president maximum flexibility to construct this historic landmark here in Florida.' In the House vote on Tuesday, two Democrats were dismissive. 'Please just vote on this bill. That is my debate,' said Orlando Democrat Anna Eskamani succinctly. The other Democrat who spoke out, Jacksonville Rep. Angie Nixon, blasted the entire notion, saying that there was 'irony' in what the GOP-controlled chamber was doing. 'If we are going to support bringing this library here, we should support returning citizens all across the board, and not attack returning citizens, especially when they want to do things like vote, because we have one of the biggest returning citizens a/k/a felons in the administration right now,' she said referring to Trump being found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments in May 2024 in a New York courtroom. Nixon's comment about returning citizens was a reference to the 2018 constitutional amendment which legalized felons in Florida who had completed their sentence to be able to vote. However, an implementing bill in the following legislative session significantly narrowed the number of felons who can actually vote. Not all Democrats were that critical, as five of them joined all Republicans in supporting the measure (the final vote was 89-20). Associates of Trump have been looking at several South Florida universities as possible locations for a presidential library, including Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University, the Associated Press reported last month.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill would ease the way for Trump to build his presidential library in Florida
President Donald Trump attends inauguration ceremonies in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by) In just the first month after Donald Trump re-entered the White House, some of his strongest Republican allies in Florida have rushed to push out legislation showing props to the former New York City businessman now serving his second term as president. Republicans have floated congressional proposals to carve his face on Mount Rushmore and to amend the 22nd Amendment to allow him a third-term in office. In the Florida Legislature, a lawmaker has filed a bill to change all state references from the Gulf of Mexico to the 'Gulf of America.' Now comes another legislative proposal from Tallahassee via Central Florida GOP state Sen. Jason Brodeur. He wants to ensure that no local government in the state interferes with any plans to construct a presidential library here. Brodeur's proposal (SB 118) would preempt to the state all regulatory authority over the establishment, maintenance, activities and operations of presidential libraries. 'As the home to the 45th and 47th president of the United States, there is a high likelihood that President Trump will select Florida to be the site of his presidential library,' Brodeur told the Senate Committee on Community Affairs on Tuesday. 'In anticipation of Florida's first presidential library, we should roll out the welcome mat and offer the president maximum flexibility to construct this historic landmark here in Florida.' The legislation states that a county, municipality or any other political subdivision of the state 'may not enact or enforce any ordinance, resolution, rule, or other measure governing the establishment, maintenance, or operation of a presidential library or impose any requirement or restriction thereon, except as otherwise authorized by federal law.' The measure passed unanimously in the committee. Trump has not yet said where he intends for his presidential library to be located. In the defamation lawsuit brought by Trump that was settled with ABC News in December, the TV network announced that it had agreed to pay $15 million for the establishment of Trump's 'presidential foundation and museum.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
