Ron DeSantis, Florida Cabinet waive fines for flouting COVID-19 rules

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that Floridians won’t have to pay fines for violating COVID-19-related ordinances.

He and two other Republicans on the clemency board voted Wednesday to wipe out fines imposed on people or businesses in a swift action that, according to the Tampa Bay Times, lasted less than a minute and left local officials scratching their heads.

“As we’ve seen, there have been unprecedented restrictions imposed on people, particularly on the local government level, on both individuals and businesses,” Mr. DeSantis said. “Many of these restrictions, I think, have been ineffective, and I think they’ve unfairly penalized people.

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Mr. DeSantis offered a motion for the “remission” of those fines, which was immediately approved on a 3-1 vote.

Besides Mr. DeSantis, the measure was supported by the Florida clemency board’s two other Republicans — Attorney General Ashley Moody and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis — and opposed by Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.

In an executive order later Wednesday, the Times reported, Mr. DeSantis added that the waiver applied to fines imposed by local governments from March 1, 2020, to Wednesday.

The order said Floridians could refer to the executive order as a reason to dispute any fines and refuse to pay them.

Local officials weren’t prepared for the action, which wasn’t on the clemency board’s agenda.

For one thing, according to the Times, it isn’t clear whether the clemency board can wipe out municipal fines for people not seeking clemency. Also Mr. DeSantis already had ordered cities and counties in September not to collect fines on Floridians who violated mask ordinances.

The city and county officials in the Tampa Bay area who spoke with the Times all said they had not seen the order and expressed frustration with Mr. DeSantis, a Republican.

“It is worth noting that local actions and protocols have helped to keep Floridians safe and healthy, and Ron DeSantis has benefitted from that,” St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, a Democrat, said in a statement. “Time and again, in the absence of state leadership and a coherent strategy, cities like St. Petersburg have had to take the lead. We will continue to do so as best we can.”