Saying Florida is in “crisis mode” over the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, state Sen. Chris Smith said Tuesday he’s launching a task force on Florida’s stand-your-ground law because he’s tired of waiting for a panel created by Gov. Rick Scott to convene.
Scott has said repeatedly that he wants to wait for the results of the criminal investigation into Martin’s death, and he did so again after Smith’s announcement.
Martin, 17, was unarmed when he was shot Feb. 26 while walking through a gated community, but the shooter, George Zimmerman, has said he shot in self defense.
Last month, responding to the outcry over Martin’s death and the fact that police and prosecutors haven’t charged Zimmerman with anything, Scott created a statewide task force to review the stand-your-ground law, which allows Floridians to use deadly force if they believe themselves in danger. He also appointed Jacksonville State Attorney Angela Corey to take over the investigation of Martin’s death from Seminole County State Attorney Norm Wolfinger.
But the investigation could take more than a year, said Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale, who is African-American and an attorney. Smith has already called twice for Scott’s task force to meet sooner. He’s also asked Scott to call a special session to address the stand-your-ground law.
On Tuesday, Smith said the delay is hurting Florida’s image and appeal to tourists. He compared Scott’s reaction to that of Gov. Lawton Chiles in 1993, when two British tourists were shot – and one killed – in a robbery attempt at a rest stop on Interstate-10 east of Tallahassee.
Within hours, Chiles, facing reports that frightened vacationers were canceling their travel plans, ordered Florida law-enforcement agencies to guard all interstate rest areas.
“We didn’t wait for the investigation,” Smith said. “We didn’t wait for charges. We acted quickly because [the] Florida brand was tarnished at that time, and [the] Florida brand is tarnished right now.”
Scott, asked after Smith’s announcement if the state’s image is suffering due to Martin’s death, first expressed concern for the slain teenager’s family.
“We have a great state. We have 85 million tourists,” said Scott. “I think if you look around the country at what’s going on now, we have a – Angela Corey’s going to do a great job. If you read her background, she’s a no-nonsense state attorney. She’s going to do a thorough investigation…Justice will prevail.”
The Smith-convened panel will meet Thursday in Fort Lauderdale.
It includes: Broward County State Attorney Mike Satz; Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Frank Adderley; former state Sen. Dan Gelber, an ex-federal prosecutor; state Rep. Perry Thurston of Fort Lauderdale, a defense attorney; Miami-Dade County Public Defender Carlos Martinez and Alfreda Coward, also a criminal defense attorney.
Presenters include Broward County Judges Ken Gottlieb, a former legislator; and two other judges: Ilona Holmes and Michael Robinson. Also presenting to the group will be Nicki Grossman, president of the Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
Grossman said Smith was acting to prevent economic injury to the state.
“Anything that disrupts the ability of Florida’s economic engine to move forward is devastating,” she said, pointing to an article on the online site Huffington Post calling for tourists to go elsewhere than the Sunshine State.
“If tourists boycott Florida – as tourists boycotted Arizona after controversial legislation was enacted there in 2010 – the state will have to choose between economic Russian roulette and putting the guns down altogether,” wrote Andrew Burmon, the site’s associate travel editor, on Mar. 30. “As long as Florida depends on tourists’ money – to the tune of roughly 9.3 percent of G.D.P and a million jobs – the state’s government has a motivation to protect citizens of Oregon, Illinois and, for that matter, Brazil, Germany and Japan.”
In addition to political considerations, Grossman said, other states might also have an interest in undermining Florida’s tourism industry.
“It would not be the first time,” she said. “Arizona competes against us and our weather all the time.” She said tourism-propelled states have publicized Florida hurricanes and other negatives – like the shooting of the British tourists. “Our competitors are outspending us everywhere.”
Grossman said the irony is that blacks benefit enormously from Florida’s tourist economy. Last year 11.1 million tourists visited Greater Fort Lauderdale, she said, and 20 percent were blacks who spent $1.8 billion there.
“People of color would be the first and worst affected,” Grossman said.
But Scott told reporters he was confident his response was for the best.
“We’re doing the right thing,” he said.
Smith’s announcement included the establishment of a web site, FloridaStandYourGround.org, for public comment.
By Margie Menzel
Smith seems well meaning but he has made a big mistake putting tax and spend Dan Gelber on the committee. Gelber recently participated in the shafting of all Floridians by opposing gambling reform which by all metrics denied the state tens of millions of dollars in state tax revenue that would have gone a long way to easing the $2 billion dollar budget shortfall. Not to worry, Gelber lined his pockets all the way with bribes. He got his economic relief and Floridians got the short end.
If every black person in Florida immediately applied for a concealed weapon permit, you would get meaningful change to the laws very promptly. Turn the racism upon itself.