FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 2, 2009
CONTACT:
ACLU of Florida Media Office: 786.363.2737 or media@aclufl.org
The following statement can be attributed to Jeanne Baker, ACLU of Florida Board President:
"State and local communities, including Miami and Miami Dade County and other local communities have enacted residency restrictions that impermissibly exceed state law. Governor Crist and the Florida Legislature have repeatedly ignored requests from the ACLU and others to address this growing crisis. Instead, the Governor and Legislature have turned a blind eye to the impact of this public health and safety threat to our community.
"Now, the State and local communities point their fingers at each other in an attempt to shift blame. This is a statewide problem, and the Julia Tuttle Causeway is only the most graphic example. We need a state-wide solution, and sadly, the Governor remains AWOL.
"While the best solution would be intervention by the Governor, the ACLU and other advocacy groups are prepared to seek a solution through the courts."