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ACLU of Florida Names Reps. Jeff Clemens and Alan Williams Defenders of Freedom
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2011 Press Releases
ACLU of Florida Names Reps. Jeff Clemens and Alan Williams Defenders of Freedom
WILLIAMS AND CLEMENS GIVEN WEEKLY AWARD FOR OPPOSING UNDEMOCRATIC RUSH TO MAKE ELECTION LAW CHANGES WHICH THREATEN BASIC RIGHTS
April 15, 2011
CONTACT: ACLU of Florida Media Office, (786) 363-2737 or media@aclufl.org
TALLAHASSEE – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida (ACLUFL) today announced that Representatives Jeff Clemens (D-Lake Worth) and Alan Williams (D-Tallahassee) received the organization’s most recent “Defender of Freedom” award for the week which ended today, April 15, 2011.
Williams and Clemens earned the award for their comments and votes against House Bill 1355 in the House Committee on State Affairs on Thursday, April 14, 2011. The bill would was completely rewritten with a 150-plus page “strike all” amendment which was filed the night before the bill was debated and passed by the Committee.
As amended, the bill changes several voting and elections procedures, restricts free speech, impedes access to the ballot by registered voters and limits the rights of Floridians to access their government through ballot initiative and voting. Perhaps most damaging, it pushes Floridians – especially college students, minorities and military personnel – to use “provisional ballots” which are far more likely to be discarded and not counted.
"Even if you can put aside the process which essentially jammed through a massive bill without a meaningful chance for public comment or review, it’s a bad bill and moves democracy backwards,” said Danielle Prendergast, ACLUFL Director of Public Policy. “Any system that denies people the right to fill out a normal ballot is a recipe for disenfranchisement," said the ACLU's Danielle Prendergast.
In opposing the process by which the bill was completely amended, Clemons said, “We continually get these strike-all amendments that contain 155 pages of language the afternoon before we’re supposed to hear a bill the next morning. We can stay up all night reading this bill but we can’t certainly expect members of the public and Florida residents to be able to set aside their families and their time to be able to absorb all this information in one evening then find a way to get to Tallahassee the next day to be able to address their elected officials…it leads to bad government and bad legislation.”
On the impact of the bill, Williams said, “I cannot vote for (the bill) today because we’re going to infringe on freedom of speech issues and it will make voting here in Florida tougher, not easier.”
The newly rewritten House Bill 1355 passed the Committee on a party-line 12-6 vote with Democratic Reps Garcia, Bembry, Taylor and Kriseman joining Williams and Clemens.
The Defender of Freedom award is be presented weekly during the Florida Legislative Session to the lawmaker or other leader who displays public courage and defends constitutional freedoms in public policy. Previous winners were Sen. Jack Latvala (R-St. Petersburg), Rep. Carlos Trujillo (R-Miami), Senator Mike Bennett (R-Bradenton), Rep. Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg), Rep. Scott Randolph (D-Orlando) and Sen. Jack Latvala.
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About the ACLU of Florida
The ACLU of Florida is freedom's watchdog, working daily in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend individual rights and personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For additional information, visit our web site at: www.aclufl.org.
