New House Speaker Dean Cannon Takes Aim at Judicial Activism

In his opening remarks, new House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, offered a conservative call-to-arms, attacking judicial activism. Cannon took aim at the Florida Supreme Court which struck down a number of proposed constitutional amendments forwarded by the Legislature, offering alternatives to amendments backed by FairDistricts Florida and allowing Floridians to opt out of the new federal health-care laws.

The threats to our liberties come not only from the federal government, but can also be seen much closer to home, insisted Cannon. As an attorney and an officer of the court, I believe fervently in a judicial branch that is strong and independent and fully empowered and equipped to fulfill its constitutional duties. But for the judiciary to be independent, it must also be impartial and apolitical.It must respect the co-equal executive and legislative branches, and protect their unambiguous constitutional powers, and it must practice the restraint that is built into our federal and state Constitutions.

Over the past year, three times we saw the work of a three-fifths supermajority of this legislative branch, the elected representatives of over 18 million Floridians, demolished by five unelected justices on the Supreme Court, said Cannon.This was done notwithstanding the fact that there is no express authority in the Florida Constitution for doing so.

So I ask you, is it the role of judicial branch to decide political questions, and endanger its reputation for impartiality, by depriving the voters of the right to vote on important questions put forth by their elected representatives?remarked Cannon. Or should we make good on the oath we took to protect and defend Florida's Constitution, which expressly grants the Legislature the unlimited right to place questions before the voters so that they, the people, may exercise their highest political right by voting to choose whether or not to amend their Constitution?

When government takes over private-sector assets and controls private-sector activity, or denies people the right to vote because the government decides they might be confused, even if it does so -- perhaps especially if it does so -- in the name of protecting them, that my friends is a destruction of freedom and is the road to serfdom and economic bondage, not only for us but for our children and their children after them, continued the new speaker. It is the road to ruin of a healthy economy and the foreclosure of a bright future for our state and our nation. Real freedom seeks equality in opportunity, not equality in outcome.