Florida Gov. Scott Is a Magnet for Lawsuits

Although not the raison d'etat for the lawsuit, HB 155 also address insurance issues. The bill "prohibits denial of insurance coverage, increased premiums, or other discrimination by insurance companies issuing policies on basis of insured's or applicant's ownership, possession, or storage of firearms or ammunition; clarifies that insurer is not prohibited from considering value of firearms or ammunition in setting personal property premiums."

Lawsuits Against Scott Mounting

This latest lawsuit is the third filed in recent days against the Republican governor, two by the ACLU.

On June 3 the ACLU of Florida and Project Vote, a national voting rights group, filed suit in federal court to challenge the implementation of the state's new election law, HB 1355. Scott signed the legislation on May 19 and it became effective that day. The suit asks a three-judge panel to block implementation of the law until it has been cleared by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Opponents say the law impedes voter registration drives, reduces the number of early voting days, and makes it more difficult for people to update their registration information. The bill, they say, will disenfranchise mostly poor and minority voters.

On June 1 the ACLU filed suit seeking to halt mandated drug testing for state employees. That action followed an Executive Order by Scott in March requiring all state and executive agencies to set up protocols for conducting random drug tests on current state employees. Scott's Order also requires all new hires to undergo testing as a condition of employment. The ACLU filed the objection on behalf of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 79.

More lawsuits appear to be on the horizon. On May 31, the day before the ACLU lawsuit against the Executive Order, Scott signed into law another drug testing measure passed during the 2011 legislative session. HB 353 requires welfare applicants to pass drug tests before they collect state cash assistance.

The Florida Department of Children & Families estimated that the law, which goes into effect July 1, will generate about 4,400 drug tests per month. Applicants must pay for the testing, which can cost between $10 and $25; taxpayers will reimburse welfare applicants for negative drug tests. Positive tests carry an immediate six-month ban on benefits from the department's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. A second positive test results in a three-year ban on state assistance. The ACLU of Florida is widely expected to file suit against that bill.

Scott pushed hard for the drug testing mandates, and his aggressiveness has prompted ethics questions, something that has haunted Scott for years. The multimillionaire made his money in health care, notably as CEO of Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp., a for-profit hospital chain. He resigned in 1997 amid an FBI probe that resulted in the company paying a record $1.7 billion in criminal and civil fines for Medicare fraud.

In 2004 Scott co-founded Solantic, a chain of walk-in clinics in Florida that provides drug testing. He transferred his majority ownership in the company to a trust in his wife's name (the Frances Annette Scott Revocable Trust) days before he was sworn in as governor. That ownership is valued at $62 million; critics say the company will reap immense benefits from the new drug testing mandates.

Earlier this year, he reported that he had found a buyer for the company, and that the deal would close on April 29. That has not yet happened. Speaking to CNN on June 5, Scott said he is in the process of selling his family's interest in the company and "it will be sold in a couple of weeks."

In a recent Quinnipiac University poll, Scott had the lowest approval rating of any governor in the U.S.