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Florida’s Republican legislature and Gov. Rick Scott passed and signed so many controversial bills into law this year that it’s hard to keep track.
Earlier this year, Scott signed into law an NRA-backed bill that for some reason prohibits doctors from asking patients about gun ownership. (So much for the Republican party being the party of anti-regulation.) Now, a Miami-Dade judge has ruled the law is unconstitutional.
Several physician groups in Florida quickly challenged the law, and today U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke has ruled the law violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Doctors were worried they could be fined $10,000 and lose their medical license for asking patients whether they owned a gun.
Interestingly, Judge Cooke isn’t a liberal, activist type. She served as chief inspector general in the Jeb Bush administration and was appointed to her current position by George W. Bush.
Undoubtedly, the state will challenge the ruling, leading to further court showdowns.
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