Ron DeSantis on Crime

Citing George Floyd killing is "virtue signaling"

Gov. Nikki HALEY: When we bring law and order back to our cities, then that's when they'll be safe.

DESANTIS: Nikki Haley and I have a disagreement on the BLM stuff, because she tweeted during this period of time that the death of George Floyd should be "personal and painful for each and every American". She was virtue signaling to the left, she was accepting the narrative, and she was trying to impress people who were never going to like us. I never bought in to going after the police, we backed the Blue to the state of Florida, and we're about lower crime as a result of that.

HALEY: When I said that about George Floyd, when we turned around and had the worst shooting in a religious place that we had seen in this country, not only did I pass the first Body Camera Bill in the country and keep our state together, we came together as a state in prayer and we had no division, no riots, no anything.

We're going to shoot drug smugglers stone cold dead

Back the Blue; fight Soros-funded prosecutors

DESANTIS: Crime in the cities is one of the strongest signs of the decaying of America. We can't be successful as a country if people aren't even safe to live in places like Los Angeles and San Francisco. In Florida, we back the blue. We support the men and women of law enforcement. They are keeping us safe. We have a 50-year low in the crime rate. And, yes, when I had two progressive prosecutors that weren't following the law in Florida, I removed them from their posts, and the people of Florida are safer as a result of it. As president, I will use the Justice Department to bring civil rights cases against all of those left-wing, Soros-funded prosecutors. We're not going to let them get away with it anymore. We want to reverse this country's decline; we need to choose law and order over rioting and disorder.

Hollowed-out cities are symbols of national decline

No need for jury unanimity to impose capital punishment

ACLU-Florida summary in opposition, 2/9: Ends the requirement for unanimous juries in death penalty cases, and allows the imposition of death based on as few as 8 jurors. Allows judges to override a jury's recommendation of a life sentence and instead impose death. Florida will be one of only 2 states that impose death on people without requiring a unanimous jury--a foolish idea for a state that already leads the nation in exonerations of those on death row.

Governor's press release in favor, 4/20: "Once a defendant in a capital case is found guilty by a unanimous jury, one juror should not be able to veto a capital sentence," said Governor Ron DeSantis.

Legislative Outcome: Passed Senate 29-10-1 on Mar/30/23; passed House 80-30-9 on Apr/13/23; signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on Apr/20/23.

Increase penalties for fentanyl dealers, human smuggling

We're a law-and-order state; reject weak on crime policies

Florida is a law and order state

Opposes insane fantasy of defunding law enforcement

Don't restore voting rights to former felons

Ron DeSantis (R): No. Opposes amendment.

Andrew Gillum (D): Yes. "Floridians who have paid their debts deserve a second chance & should have a voice in our state's future. Our current system is a relic of Jim Crow."

Prosecuted wide range of military & federal cases

Death penalty for killing police officers.

Congressional Summary: Makes the killing or attempted killing of a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder an aggravating factor in death penalty determinations [when] the defendant killed or attempted to kill a person who is authorized by law:

• to engage in or supervise the prevention, detention, investigation, or prosecution, or the incarceration of any person for any criminal violation of law;
• to apprehend, arrest, or prosecute an individual for any criminal violation of law; or
• to be a firefighter or other first responder.
• And that the person was killed--
• while he or she was engaged in the performance of his or her official duties;
• because of the performance of his or her official duties; or
• because of his or her status as a public official or employee.

Opposing argument: [Sen. Bernie Sanders, Oct. 13, 2015]: `Black lives matter. The African American community knows that on any given day some innocent person like Sandra Bland can get into a car, and three days later she`s dead in jail. We need to combat institutional racism from top to bottom, and we need major reforms in a broken criminal justice system. I intend to make sure people have education and jobs rather than jail cells.`

Opposing argument: [ACLU of Louisiana, July 7, 2015]: Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a bill into law that makes targeting a police officer a hate crime. Passage of such bills is a top priority for a national organization called Blue Lives Matter, which was formed in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. [A video captured] `police killing a black man who was minding his own business,` says the director of ACLU-LA. But it was the civil rights of police officers that Edwards was concerned about, as if theirs were being routinely violated: `I`m not aware of any evidence that police officers have been victimized that would justify giving them special protection.`

Rated 46% by the NAPO, indicating a police-the-police stance.

Ratings by the National Association of Police Organizations indicate support or opposition to issues of importance to police and crime. The organization`s self-description: `The National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) is a coalition of police units and associations from across the United States. NAPO was organized for the purpose of advancing the interests of America`s law enforcement officers through legislative advocacy, political action, and education.

`Increasingly, the rights and interests of law enforcement officers have been the subject of legislative, executive, and judicial action in the nation’s capital. NAPO works to influence the course of national affairs where law enforcement interests are concerned. The following list includes examples of NAPO’s accomplishments:

• Enactment of the Fair Sentencing Act
• Enactment of the National AMBER Alert Act
• Enactment of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act
• Enactment of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act
• Enactment of the Law Enforcement Officers` Safety Act (Right to Carry Legislation)

VoteMatch scoring for the NAPO ratings is as follows:

• 0%-50%: soft on crime and police issues;
• 50%-75%: mixed record on crime and police issues;
• 75%-100%: tough on crime and police issues.