Dave Kerner
Dave Kerner | |
---|---|
Executive Director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles | |
Assumed office November 22, 2016 | |
Preceded by | Shelley Vana |
Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 87th district | |
In office November 20, 2012 – November 20, 2016 | |
Preceded by | Bill Hager |
Succeeded by | David Silvers |
Personal details | |
Born | Palm Beach County, Florida | August 24, 1983
Political party | Democratic |
Alma mater | University of Florida (BA, JD) |
Profession | County Commissioner, Attorney, police officer |
David M. Kerner (born August 24, 1983) currently serves as the executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. He is the former county mayor and a county commissioner for,
Early life, education, and career
Kerner was born and raised in
Upon becoming a member of the Florida Bar, he was selected to serve as a Special Prosecutor for the
Florida House of Representatives
In 2012, after the Florida House of Representatives districts were redrawn, Kerner opted to run in the newly created 87th District. While the 87th District is 52% Hispanic, it is also where Kerner was born and raised, and had resided except for his time in college, on the police force, and while in law school. He faced Mike Rios in the Democratic primary, whom he easily defeated with 68% of the vote. Kerner was unopposed in the general election, and was sworn into his first term.
Kerner has emerged as the most effective Democratic lawmaker in the
Ideology and policy preferences
Rep. Dave Kerner has been identified as a Conservative Democrat. However, he has opposed NRA-backed bills advocating open carrying of firearms and the carrying of firearms on college campuses. He has also opposed anti-LGBT and anti-abortion legislation. Kerner has publicly reprimanded other lawmakers for voting for bills that are "clearly" unconstitutional.[citation needed]
In the 2022 Florida gubernatorial election, Kerner endorsed the Republican incumbent Ron DeSantis over his Democratic challenger, former governor Charlie Crist.[5]
Major policy positions and legislation
Kerner has sponsored eleven bills that have been passed into law, and has consistently led the Democratic opposition against several high-profile gun bills sponsored by the National Rifle Association.
Kerner is opposed to human trafficking and the decriminalization of sex work. While serving in the legislature, Kerner sponsored HB 7005, which aimed to "stem prostitution and human sex trafficking"[6] in the state's massage parlors, which are being used in some instances as fronts for illegal activity, by making it "a first degree misdemeanor for a person to operate a massage establishment between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. and to use the massage business as a domicile."[7]
Kerner was able to maneuver House Bill 369 through both the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate four times in one session during the 2015 legislative session. The law (HB 369), aimed at raising awareness about human trafficking, mandates National Human Trafficking Hotline signs to be posted in a wide range of places, including rest areas, turnpike service plazas, weigh stations, welcome centers, airports and strip clubs.[8] The legislation was co-sponsored by Republican Senator Jack Latvala.
He also authored legislation with
In addition, he also sponsored the "Timely Justice Act," which speeds up executions for inmates on death row.[10] Specifically, the law requires the governor to sign a death warrant for a defendant within 30 days of a review of a capital conviction by the State Supreme Court, and the state is required carry out the execution within 180 days of the warrant.[11]
Kerner was re-elected to his second term in the legislature in 2014 without opposition.
National Rifle Association opposition and controversy
Kerner has been a vocal opponent of pieces of legislation supported by the National Rifle Association of America (NRA).
During the 2016 legislative session, Kerner was an opponent of House Bill 163, an NRA-backed piece of legislation which would have imposed certain penalties on the State Attorney for "Stand Your Ground"-related prosecution.
Kerner sponsored two late amendments to House Bill 163 in the Criminal Justice Subcommittee. Both amendments were adopted and the bill was then killed on another vote shortly thereafter.[12]
Following the killing of the bill, the National Rifle Association publicly condemned the actions of the legislators involved, and began an email campaign against those involved. Kerner was later named "Winner of the Week" by the
References
- ^ Know your candidates Dave Kerner
- ^ About Dave
- ^ "Masone v. City of Aventura, 147 So. 3d 492 - Fla: Supreme Court 2014 - Google Scholar".
- ^ "Wellington teen's death sparks new marijuana legislation". Archived from the original on October 2, 2015.
- ^ Broward Politics on Twitter: Democratic Palm Beach County Commissioner and former state representative @DavidMKerner endorses @RonDeSantisFL re-election. Kerner, a former police officer, cites DeSantis support for law enforcement.
- The Huffington Post. Archivedfrom the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
- ^ Koff, Rochelle (April 17, 2013). "House passes restrictions on massage businesses suspected of sex trafficking". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
- ^ "State signs to warn about human trafficking". Archived from the original on December 28, 2015.
- ^ Koff, Rochelle (April 30, 2013). "Bill to sever parental rights of rapists ready for governor". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
- ^ Palombo, Jessica (April 25, 2013). "Fla. House Passes 'Timely Justice Act' To Cut Death Row Wait Time". WFSU-TV. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
- ^ "Grotesque Speed for Florida Capital Cases". The New York Times. May 14, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
- ^ http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/florida/2015/11/8583221/bipartisan-effort-helps-defeat-changes-stand-your-ground-law
- ^ "Winners and loser of the week in Fla politics | Tampa Bay Times". www.tampabay.com. Archived from the original on 2015-11-23.