Anthony Sabatini

Anthony Sabatini is a Republican member of the Florida Legislature. He represents the state's 32nd House district. The 32nd District of Florida encompasses mostly South Lake County and some of North Lake County, Florida.[1]

Anthony Sabatini
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 32nd district
Assumed office
November 6, 2018
Preceded byLarry Metz
Member of the Eustis City Commission
In office
January 2017 – April 30, 2018
Preceded byRobert Morin
Succeeded byMichael L. Holland
ConstituencySeat 2
Personal details
Born (1988-10-20) October 20, 1988
Smithtown, New York
Political partyRepublican
ResidenceHowey-in-the-Hills
Alma materUniversity of Florida (BA, JD)
OccupationFlorida State Representative Florida Army National Guard Officer
Websitewww.myfloridahouse.gov

Early life, education, and personal life

Sabatini was born in Smithtown, New York in 1988 and moved with his family to Florida the following year. He is an officer in the Florida Army National Guard and Florida State Representative from Florida House District 32. He earned bachelor's degrees in Philosophy and History from the University of Florida in 2012 and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law in 2017.[2]

Sabatini was elected to the Eustis City Commission in 2016 and resigned from the office on April 30, 2018 to focus his attention on his Florida House campaign.[3]

Florida House of Representatives

Sabatini defeated Monica Wofford and Shannon Elswick, to win the August 28, 2018 Republican primary, winning 46.7% of the vote.[4] In the November 6, 2018 general election, Sabatini defeated Democrat Cynthia Brown, taking 56.48% of the vote.[5]

Legislative activities

In 2019, Sabatini sponsored HB 829 and HB 7101 both of these bills passed through the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate and were placed on the desk of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.[6]

HB 829 Attorney Fees & Costs, imposes an award of attorneys fees, costs, and damages in civil actions against local governments when individuals and organizations have to bring lawsuits against municipalities and counties for violating preemption laws.[7]

HB 7101 relates to Epidiolex, which is a prescription cannabidoil, a psychoactive compound derived from the cannabis plant and is used to treat seizures. The bill classifies Epidiolex as a Schedule V controlled substance, mirroring federal law. The Schedule V classification reflects the substance's newly approved medical use. Rescheduling Epidiolex into Schedule V prevents an interruption in the supply of the drug to Florida Patients.[8]

Controversies

In February 2019, a photo of Sabatini wearing blackface was mailed anonymously to media outlets, leading some lawmakers to call for his resignation.[9]

During Donald Trump's reelection bid announcement in Orlando on June 18, 2019, a rallygoer attacked an Orlando Sentinel reporter filming the event. The reporter tweeted the encounter to which Sabatini replied "MAGA". Sabatini said that he routinely replies “MAGA” to Sentinel reporting and wanted to counter what he considered “ridiculous” coverage of the rally.[10]

On January 13, 2020, Sabatini introduced HB 1365, which would have criminalized giving mental healthcare to transgendered youth, which inspired calls to action against Sabatini and the bill. The bill had five co-sponsors, all of whom were Republicans. Ultimately, this bill died in the Florida House Health Quality Subcommittee, its first and final committee.

In response to the protests surrounding the death of George Floyd, Sabatini posted a tweet that suggested protesters will be met with an AR-15 and included an image of the gun, which also appeared with Sabatini on his Facebook page emblazoned with "Don't Tread on Me."[11] This was condemned for being "clearly inflammatory" and "inciting violence" as Florida State Representative Cindy Polo stated in her written complaint to the Florida House. Nikki Fried, Florida Agriculture Commissioner, called for Sabatini to be reprimanded. House Speaker José Oliva found no "direct or preemptive threat" in Sabatini's comments and has not taken punitive actions.[12]

References
  1. District map at www.myfloridahouse.gov website
  2. "Florida House of Representatives - Anthony Sabatini - 2018 - 2020 ( Speaker Oliva )". myfloridahouse.gov. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  3. McNiff, Tom (1 May 2018). "Sabatini steps down from Eustis Commission". Daily Commercial. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  4. "Florida Department of State - Election Results". results.elections.myflorida.com. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  5. "Florida Election Watch - State Representative". floridaelectionwatch.gov. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  6. "Representative Anthony Sabatini 2019- Sponsored Bills". www.myfloridahouse.gov. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
  7. NRA-ILA. "NRA-ILA | Florida Alert! 2019 Florida Legislative Session Wrap-Up". NRA-ILA. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
  8. "CS/HB 7107 (2019) - Controlled Substances | Florida House of Representatives". www.myfloridahouse.gov. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
  9. Brice-Saddler, Michael (February 7, 2019). "A politician wore blackface to dress as his friend. They call it a 'silly high school prank.'". Washington Post. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  10. Bever, Lindsey; Iati, Marisa (February 19, 2019). "A Trump supporter was arrested after smacking a reporter's phone. 'MAGA,' a GOP lawmaker responded". Washington Post. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  11. Lipscomb, Jessica (June 2, 2020). "Hialeah lawmaker says colleague's AR-15 tweet was inciting violence". Miami New Times. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  12. Lemongello, Steven (May 31, 2020). "Lake County GOP Rep. Sabatini posts picture of AR15 rifle directed at protesters". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
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