Gov. Ron DeSantis wants the Florida Senate to oust suspended Broward Sheriff Scott Israel from office sooner rather than later.
DeSantis urged the Senate Wednesday to speed up the process for removing the sheriff, which was on hold while Israel mounted an unsuccessful legal challenge in court.
Time is running out for the Senate to vote on removing Israel. The session ends on May 3. A schedule is being finalized for Israel’s hearing, but it seems unlikely it’ll be completed before the session ends. Suspended Okaloosa County Superintendent of Schools Mary Beth Jackson — who is also challenging a suspension — won’t have her final hearing until May 28.
DeSantis suggested he’d call lawmakers back for a special session for the Senate to vote on the suspensions.
“We have time left,” DeSantis said. “They [Florida senators] need to go and vote on those. I think the people in both communities … were wondering why action hasn’t been taken. Both of those lawsuits were frivolous, and now they need to be judged according to the Florida Constitution.”
The governor can suspend officials, but the Florida Senate is charged with upholding or overturning the governor’s orders.
Senate President Bill Galvano said the Senate is moving as quickly as possible.
“We are going to keep moving expeditiously as we can and do our job,” said Galvano, R-Bradenton.
Galvano said he does not think the governor has the legal authority to convene a special session for the Senate to vote on the suspensions.
DeSantis suspended Israel shortly after taking office in January. He cited the agency’s failures during the mass shootings at the Fort Lauderdale airport and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School as the reason.
The Republican-controlled Senate put the matter on hold because Israel filed a lawsuit contesting his suspension. The Florida Supreme Court ruled against Israel on Tuesday, writing that it is up to the Senate to hear the matter.