Republican Senator Receives Award for Comments and Opposition to Invasion of Privacy ultrasound and unconstitutional drug testing bills
May 6, 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 Senator Evelyn Lynn (R-Daytona Beach) received the organization’s “Defender of Freedom” award for the week which ended today, May 6, 2011.
Lynn won this week’s award for her comments and votes in opposition to a series of anti-privacy and unconstitutional religious proposals in the Florida Senate.
“There were lots of heroes in the Senate this week on a range of issues,” said Danielle Prendergast, ACLUFL Director of Public Policy. “But Senator Lynn’s consistent voice on limiting the power of government to interfere in medical decisions and calling attention to unconstitutional drug testing were bright moments in an otherwise dark closing week of session.”
In Senate debate on a bill (HB353) requiring mandatory drug testing for Floridians seeking temporary aid for needy families (TANF), Lynn supported an amendment that would have required testing only for applicants who had previous drug-related convictions. The amendment may have satisfied court requirements that tests be based on a reasonable suspicion of drug use. “…So many of the things that we have done are not constitutional…and they end up going to the courts…and we spend thousands and thousands of dollars,” Lynn said in support of the amendment. Even though Lynn voted in favor, the amendment failed 18-20 – placing the entire bill in legal jeopardy.
Republican Senators Altman, Detert, Dockery, Flores, Garcia and Wise joined Lynn and 11 Democratic Senators in supporting the amendment to use a reasonable suspicion basis for TANF drug testing. The final bill, without the amendment, passed 26-10 and is pending approval by Governor Scott who has indicated he would sign all bills restricting access to specific reproductive medical care.
In debate on House Bill 1127 which required an ultrasound be performed on women seeking to terminate a pregnancy, Lynn said, "I came up here this year not to tell you what to do with your bodies, not to tell you what your religious beliefs should be, not to tell you what your sense of values should be."
The ultrasound bill passed the Senate 24-15 with Republican Senators Detert and Dockery joining Lynn and 12 Democrats in opposition. Lynn also voted against another big government restriction on access to medical care – House Bill 1247, a “parental notice” bill related to access to medical care – making her the only Republican to oppose all three bills.
The Defender of Freedom award is 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 Senator Tony Hill (D-Jacksonville) and Rep. Betty Reed (D-Tampa), Reps. Jeff Clemens (D-Lake Worth) and Alan Williams (D-Tallahassee), Sen. Jack Latvala (R-St. Petersburg), Rep. Carlos Trujillo (R-Miami), Senator Mike Bennett (R-Bradenton), Rep. Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) and Rep. Scott Randolph (D-Orlando) and the entire Florida Senate.
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