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Florida Republican lawmakers reverse position on renaming Tallahassee federal courthouse
Florida Republican lawmakers reverse position on renaming Tallahassee federal courthouse
WCJB Staff
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The measure would have named a federal courthouse in Tallahassee after the first black Florida Supreme Court Justice, Joseph Woodrow Hatchett.(WCTV)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WCJB) — Some members of the Florida Delegation voted down a measure they co-sponsored that was introduced by Rep. Al Lawson. It would have named a federal courthouse in Tallahassee after the first black Florida Supreme Court Justice, Joseph Woodrow Hatchett.
The bill introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate. Every member of the Florida Delegation co-sponsored the legislation.
Lawson says things took a turn when a congressman shared his concerns with a ruling the judge made causing many Republicans to change their stance on the bill just before the vote was finalized.
“The Republican Congressman of Georgia, Andrew Clyde who prompted the opposition of the bill by sharing a 1999 ruling by Judge Hatchett, in fact, followed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Lee v. Weisman regarding student prayer in public schools. Clyde is also one of the three Members who opposed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act,” said Lawson.
The final vote was 238-187 failing to receive the two-thirds majority needed to pass. Rep. Kat Cammack and Rep. Neal Dunn both voted against the legislation. Rep. Daniel Webster voted in favor of the bill along with all the Florida Democrats.
“Judge Hatchett was a true social justice pioneer and public servant who devoted his career to advocating for civil rights. Hatchett was dedicated to his home state of Florida, where he served in many positions in the military and the federal and local justice systems. It would’ve been an honor to recognize such a leader,” said Lawson.
Copyright 2022 WCJB. All rights reserved.
Neal Dunn, others block naming courthouse after pioneer Black judge
GOP blocks effort to name Tallahassee federal courthouse after trailblazing Black judge
'It would’ve been an honor to recognize such a leader,' Al Lawson said
Congressional Republicans have blocked an effort to name the federal courthouse in Tallahassee after the late judge Joseph Hatchett.
Six months ago, all 29 members of the Florida Congressional delegation lined up in support of a measure by Congressman Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, to honor the trailblazing jurist by designating the courthouse along Adams Street as the "Joseph Woodrow Hatchett U.S. Courthouse Federal Building."
But Wednesday, when the measure came up on the House floor as a bipartisan effort sponsored by Republican U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, 10 Florida House members including Republican Neal Dunn of Panama City deserted the effort and turned their thumbs down.
Previous coverage:
"To witness, on the House floor, Republican vote changes (against) the bill during the final seconds of roll call was abhorrent," Lawson said. Rubio was not immediately available for comment Thursday.
Axios reported that Georgia Republican Congressman Andrew Clyde rallied opposition to the Hatchett designation because of a 1999 opinion Hatchett authored that prohibited prayer at public school graduations.
“I let (that) be known,” Clyde said, according to Axios.
Lawson lashed out Clyde for working against the bill: "Clyde is also one of the three members who opposed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act," which now makes lynching a federal hate crime.
The vote split Tallahassee, with Dunn representing the city's northeast voting with the GOP against Lawson, who was the House sponsor of the naming. Dunn did not respond to a request for comment.
Without GOP support, the bill fell 45 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to designate the building in Hatchett’s honor.
All but one of the 220 House Democrats who voted on the bill supported it. Just 19 of 205 Republicans, including six Floridians, voted yes.
Led by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, a half dozen Florida Republicans voted to designate the courthouse three blocks north of the state Capitol in honor of Hatchett, a Daytona Beach native.
Hatchett died last April. He was 88.
In 1976, he became the first Black since reconstruction to win a contested statewide race in Florida, defending his seat on the Florida Supreme Court – where he had been the first Black man to sit as a judge.
Three years later, President Jimmy Carter named him as the first African American to serve on a federal appeals court in the South. Hatchett retired from the bench in 1999 and returned to private practice in Tallahassee.
“Judge Hatchett was a true social justice pioneer and public servant ... (he) was dedicated to his home state of Florida, where he served in many positions in the military and the federal and local justice systems. It would’ve been an honor to recognize such a leader," Lawson said.
James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com. Follow on him Twitter: @CallTallahassee
Florida Republican lawmakers reverse position on renaming Tallahassee federal courthouse
Florida Republican lawmakers reverse position on renaming Tallahassee federal courthouse
WCJB Staff
The measure would have named a federal courthouse in Tallahassee after the first black Florida Supreme Court Justice, Joseph Woodrow Hatchett.(WCTV)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WCJB) — Some members of the Florida Delegation voted down a measure they co-sponsored that was introduced by Rep. Al Lawson. It would have named a federal courthouse in Tallahassee after the first black Florida Supreme Court Justice, Joseph Woodrow Hatchett.
The bill introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate. Every member of the Florida Delegation co-sponsored the legislation.
Lawson says things took a turn when a congressman shared his concerns with a ruling the judge made causing many Republicans to change their stance on the bill just before the vote was finalized.
“The Republican Congressman of Georgia, Andrew Clyde who prompted the opposition of the bill by sharing a 1999 ruling by Judge Hatchett, in fact, followed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Lee v. Weisman regarding student prayer in public schools. Clyde is also one of the three Members who opposed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act,” said Lawson.
The final vote was 238-187 failing to receive the two-thirds majority needed to pass. Rep. Kat Cammack and Rep. Neal Dunn both voted against the legislation. Rep. Daniel Webster voted in favor of the bill along with all the Florida Democrats.
“Judge Hatchett was a true social justice pioneer and public servant who devoted his career to advocating for civil rights. Hatchett was dedicated to his home state of Florida, where he served in many positions in the military and the federal and local justice systems. It would’ve been an honor to recognize such a leader,” said Lawson.
Copyright 2022 WCJB. All rights reserved.
Neal Dunn, others block naming courthouse after pioneer Black judge
GOP blocks effort to name Tallahassee federal courthouse after trailblazing Black judge
'It would’ve been an honor to recognize such a leader,' Al Lawson said
Congressional Republicans have blocked an effort to name the federal courthouse in Tallahassee after the late judge Joseph Hatchett.
Six months ago, all 29 members of the Florida Congressional delegation lined up in support of a measure by Congressman Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, to honor the trailblazing jurist by designating the courthouse along Adams Street as the "Joseph Woodrow Hatchett U.S. Courthouse Federal Building."
But Wednesday, when the measure came up on the House floor as a bipartisan effort sponsored by Republican U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, 10 Florida House members including Republican Neal Dunn of Panama City deserted the effort and turned their thumbs down.
Previous coverage:
- Sens. Rubio, Scott sign on to naming Tallahassee federal courthouse for Judge Hatchett
- Tallahassee federal courthouse could be named after first Black state Supreme Court justice
"To witness, on the House floor, Republican vote changes (against) the bill during the final seconds of roll call was abhorrent," Lawson said. Rubio was not immediately available for comment Thursday.
Axios reported that Georgia Republican Congressman Andrew Clyde rallied opposition to the Hatchett designation because of a 1999 opinion Hatchett authored that prohibited prayer at public school graduations.
“I let (that) be known,” Clyde said, according to Axios.
Lawson lashed out Clyde for working against the bill: "Clyde is also one of the three members who opposed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act," which now makes lynching a federal hate crime.
The vote split Tallahassee, with Dunn representing the city's northeast voting with the GOP against Lawson, who was the House sponsor of the naming. Dunn did not respond to a request for comment.
Without GOP support, the bill fell 45 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to designate the building in Hatchett’s honor.
All but one of the 220 House Democrats who voted on the bill supported it. Just 19 of 205 Republicans, including six Floridians, voted yes.
Led by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, a half dozen Florida Republicans voted to designate the courthouse three blocks north of the state Capitol in honor of Hatchett, a Daytona Beach native.
Hatchett died last April. He was 88.
In 1976, he became the first Black since reconstruction to win a contested statewide race in Florida, defending his seat on the Florida Supreme Court – where he had been the first Black man to sit as a judge.
Three years later, President Jimmy Carter named him as the first African American to serve on a federal appeals court in the South. Hatchett retired from the bench in 1999 and returned to private practice in Tallahassee.
“Judge Hatchett was a true social justice pioneer and public servant ... (he) was dedicated to his home state of Florida, where he served in many positions in the military and the federal and local justice systems. It would’ve been an honor to recognize such a leader," Lawson said.
James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com. Follow on him Twitter: @CallTallahassee
