Miami – New Florida law forces some civil servants to choose between a full-time job and a public office.
The measure, which went into effect over the weekend, bans civil servants from working as lobbyists while they hold public office. He also banned state and local elected officials from lobbying state agencies and offices for six years, up from her previous two-year ban.
The new law has already forced some civil servants to resign. According to the Miami Herald, among them are members of the Miami Shores City Council and the board of directors of Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
This law implemented a state constitutional amendment approved by Florida voters in 2018.
Five elected officials in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Leon counties challenged the new law in a federal lawsuit, but a judge last week temporarily suspended enforcement until the court ruled. rejected the request to block to legality.
Civil servants said in their lawsuit that lobbying is part of the democratic process and facilitates the exchange of information between civil servants and the people they represent.
“For this very reason, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution expressly protects the right to petition the government to redress grievances, along with the rights to free speech and assembly,” the lawsuit states. .
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