MIAMI, (Reuters) – Florida Governor Rick Scott waded into foreign policy yesterday and signed a bill banning local governments from contracting with companies that do business in Cuba or Syria, while acknowledging the law could not take effect without Washington’s OK.
The bill’s sponsors and strongest supporters are Cuban-American politicians from Miami who said Florida tax dollars should not be used to support dictatorships that oppress their people.
The Republican governor, whose campaign slogan was “Let’s Get to Work,” dismissed criticism from the Florida Chamber of Commerce and others who said the law could discourage foreign firms from investing in Florida.
He acknowledged there were still 800,000 Floridians looking for work in the state but “principles matter,” he said.
“We believe in freedom. That’s why we have bills like this,” Scott added.
The new law is unenforceable for now but is scheduled to take effect on July 1. It prohibits state and local governments from awarding contracts of $1 million or more to companies that engage in business with Cuba or Syria, both of which are designated by the United States as state sponsors of terrorism.
The law enjoyed broad support in the Republican-controlled Florida legislature despite warnings that it is unconstitutional.
Miami-Dade County Attorney Robert Cuevas said in a March memo that federal law does not authorize states to enact such restrictions, and that federal law trumps state law on foreign policy matters. He advised county commissioners to ignore the new law.
Scott recognized as much in a letter issued yesterday saying the new restrictions “will not go into effect unless and until Congress passes, and President Obama signs, a law permitting states to independently impose such sanctions against Cuba and Syria.”
