Florida lawmaker floats ban on taxpayer funds for New York travel after Trump verdict
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, said he backs a special session of the Florida Legislature in reaction to former President Donald Trump’s trial in New York City, where he was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
In a call with Florida’s Voice, Martin said one idea is to ban taxpayer funds going toward travel to New York, similar to how California did the same in 2016 to some red states. It has since been repealed.
The conviction was near-universally condemned by Republican leaders statewide and nationwide, and the former president has called it “election interference,” along with his other legal troubles, throughout the past year.
“As a state senator, I will support any legislation that holds the state of New York accountable for their attempts to eliminate the vote of millions of Floridians for the Presidential candidate of their choice,” Martin said Thursday night. “I will support a special session to do so.”
Trump cannot be eliminated from running for president based on his New York conviction, and efforts to remove him from the ballot in other states have failed so far.
The senator also told Florida’s Voice he wants to make sure that Trump cannot be removed from the ballot in other states, arguing such a move disenfranchises Florida voters.
Before anything is officially proposed, Martin said he wants to meet with other lawmakers and legal experts to make sure any measures taken hold up in the court and are effective.
He also said it’s possible a special session is not needed, and that action could be taken under existing law.
A special session can be called by Gov. Ron DeSantis, by both the Florida Senate president and speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, or by a three-fifths vote of both chambers of the legislature.
The sentencing for Trump – July 11 – is set to be just four days before the Republican National Convention.
Florida’s Voice reached out both to DeSantis’ office and legislative leadership on Martin’s comments and will update this story if a statement is provided.
