Lake Worth Beach challenges 'Anti-Riot Law,' joins Gainesville in lawsuit - WPEC
LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Local elected officials calling the HB 1 law, or the anti-riot law, "an assault on home rule."
The City of Lake Worth Beach is joining other Florida cities in fighting Governor Ron DeSantis' controversial Anti-Riot Law.
Leaders want to make it clear they don't intend to defund the police.
Elected leaders tell CBS12 News they strongly believe local governments must be able to decide how to allocate funds to local law enforcement, rather than bureaucrats in Tallahassee.
Every year the city of Lake Worth Beach spends millions on a contract with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office to patrol the streets.
City Commissioner of District 3 Kim Stokes tells CBS12 News, she's concerned about provisions in the Governor's Anti-Riot Law that give ultimate control of the city's police budget to Tallahassee.
If we increase the budget one year, then the next year we are now tied into that for infinity," Stokes said. "And we can’t go back. If our funding resources dry up, we can’t go back into the original one.
The law does limit the local government's ability to cut the police budget.
State attorneys and local elected officials who disagree with the budgetary changes can appeal to a state commission, which consists of Governor DeSantis and cabinet members.
"They can make line-item changes to our police budget and we have no choice but to accept that," said Stokes.
Stokes, Vice Mayor Herman Robinson, and the rest of the city commission agree that goes too far.
Lake Worth Beach is joining the City of Gainesville in the lawsuit against HB 1 law.
"Tallahassee can’t be dictating what we can and can’t do," Robinson told CBS12 News.
The lawsuit will be formally filed soon.
City commissioners say the attorneys handling the case are not charging the city, so it won't cost taxpayers anything.
Commissioners are confident they will win in court.
source: https://cbs12.com/news/local/lake-worth-beach-challenges-anti-riot-law-joins-gainesville-in-lawsuit
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