Florida
Bill allows DeSantis to run for president while governor
Republican Ron DeSantis would not have to resign as Florida governor in order to run for president if he chooses under a bill given final approval Friday in by the GOP-dominated state Legislature.
The measure, attached to a much broader elections bill, would carve out an exemption to Florida law requiring anyone seeking office to resign from one they already hold after qualifying as a candidate. Only an officeholder running for U.S. president or vice president would not have to resign.
Supporters portrayed the bill as purely a clarification and not intended specifically for DeSantis, who has not yet announced a presidential bid but is widely expected to declare his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the coming weeks. The bill passed the state House 76-34 along party lines and now goes to DeSantis, who is expected to sign it into law.
“It is an individual office that is unique. It is the chief executive of our country,” GOP Rep. Ralph Massullo said during House debate Friday. “This isn’t just for our governor, it’s for anyone in politics.”
Democrats called the effort a cynical attempt to clear the way for DeSantis to run while remaining as governor. His current term in Tallahassee would end in January 2027.
“We in this body are doing the governor’s bidding,” said Rep. Angela Nixon, a Democrat. “He needs to resign to run if he wants to run for president, period. Last time I checked, being governor is a full-time job. Running for president takes a lot of work.”
The bill, which makes a number of other changes to Florida election law, passed one day after a federal appeals court upheld a GOP-led election law that was enacted last year. That law was challenged as racially discriminatory by seeking to suppress Black votes, but a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed.
Among other things, it would tighten limits and increase fines for third-party voter registration organizations, impose more restrictions on mail ballots and shift responsibility for determining if a voter is eligible from the state to the individual.
Democrats contended the bill is another step to suppress votes of minorities and economically disadvantaged people to benefit Republicans who already dominate state government and Florida’s federal offices.
“We’re back at it again, making it more difficult for people to register to vote. What we are doing with this bill is unnecessary,” said Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamni. “It’s really frustrating.”
Republicans, however, portrayed the measure as guaranteeing a legitimate vote, streamlining election operations and eliminating ambiguity in the law.
“There is no more sacred thing than our vote,” said GOP Rep. John Snyder. “It should be easy to vote and hard to cheat.”
The House also passed a proposal that would require a constitutional amendment to pass with at least 66.67% of the vote, up from 60% currently. That measure has to clear the Senate and then would go on the November 2024 ballot — where it would require a 60% vote to be enacted.
“We know in this crazy world today we are at greater risk of bad constitutional amendments,” said the main sponsor, Republican Rep. Rick Roth. “We have to stand for our constitution.”
Democrats contended the amendment threshold change would make it harder for voters to take their own initiative to change policies if the Legislature refuses to do so.
“Sixty percent is high enough,” said Democratic Rep. Bruce Antone. “Voters need to have an option when the Legislature does not listen to them. We’ve seen that time and time again.”
Mississippi
2 killed, 4 wounded in shooting; man arrested
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) — Police have charged a 19-year-old man with killing two teenagers and wounding four others in an early Sunday shooting at a house party on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Cameron Everest Brand of Pass Christian is charged with murder and aggravated assault, jail records show. Bay St. Louis Police Chief Toby Schwartz said in a news release that police identified Brand as the sole shooter through witness and victim statements.
An 18-year-old and a 16-year-old died in a New Orleans hospital, Schwartz said. The Orleans Parish coroner did not return a phone call seeking to confirm their identities.
Friends and family identified them as De’Arreis “DD” Smith, 18, and Haeleigh Stamper, 16, classmates at Hancock High School.
Smith was a senior getting ready to graduate, according to Kecia Sams, who considered him an adopted member of her family.
“De’Arreis Smith was an amazing soul, a loyal friend, brother and uncle,” Sams told Nola. com. “He was loved by many and will be missed so very much by his family.”
A GoFundMe account was set up to help with funeral expenses for Stamper. In the posting, the organizer, Lillie Smith, described the teen as a “sweet soul.”
“Her beautiful smile would light the whole room up,” Smith said.
Brand was arrested at his home in neighboring Pass Christian and taken to jail, Schwartz said. Bay St. Louis Municipal Court Judge Stephen Maggio denied Brand bail, and he was being held in the Hancock County jail. It is unclear if Brand has a lawyer who could speak for him.
Students had gathered for a party at the home on a sparsely populated road after Bay High School’s prom. Local news outlets reported that trails of blood could be seen on the pavement Sunday outside the home, while cars were peppered with bullet holes. The home is less than a mile from Bay High.
Police said the six victims wounded by gunfire ranged in age from 15 to 18. All were taken to area hospitals, some by helicopter.
Casey Woods, an 18-year-old student at Pass Christian High School, told the Sun Herald of Biloxi that he was at the party with a girlfriend. He told the paper he saw Brand talking to people and then walking away before he returned and the shooting started.
“Me and my girl looked up and saw sparks coming from the gun,” Woods said, adding many people ran into the woods.
Both of the teens who died had attended nearby Hancock High School in Kiln, officials in that school district said. Two more Hancock High students were shot and wounded, as were two students from Bay High. Those are the only two public high schools in Hancock County, on the western end of the Mississippi Gulf Coast between New Orleans and Gulfport.
“Our hearts are broken as we mourn the tragic loss of two Hancock High School students who were victims of the shooting in Bay St. Louis last night,” the Hancock County school district said in a statement, saying counselors would be available Monday at school. “Let us come together as a community to show our support and love during this difficult time.”
Sandra Reed, superintendent of the Bay St. Louis-Waveland school district, said both of the wounded Bay High students were expected to recover. Bay High Principal Amy Necaise said the school was making faculty and staff available on campus Sunday afternoon to counsel students.
