Say what?!
And to whom do all the myriad responsibilities and duties of that office thereby fall? (Who's going to issue Florida CCW permits? $;-)
Posted on 08/01/2002 12:13:24 PM PDT by E=MC<sup>2</sup>
TALLAHASSEE -- Secretary of State Katherine Harris, who is running for Congress in Sarasota, announced today that she has resigned.
She submitted a resignation letter to the governor today, with a retroactive resignation date of July 15. She said she has been acting as a defacto secretary of state since that date.
She said she didn't submit a resignation letter when she qualified to run for the 13th Congressional District earlier this year because she thought she didn't have to. Because the secretary of state job is being abolished, Harris said she thought the resignation letter was not needed.
In Florida, elected officials seeking other office are supposed to submit a letter of resignation when they qualify to seek that other office. The secretary of state's office, ultimately, oversees the state's elections.
It's unclear what impact Harris' actions could have on her run for Congress, or whether her qualifying will be called into question.
-PJ
The point of the resignation when one qualifies is partly so that it does not appear that they are using their current position as influence for the one they are running for, or using State time and money to campaign for the new position. How this applies to a person holding a position that is being abolished, I do not know.
Say what?!
And to whom do all the myriad responsibilities and duties of that office thereby fall? (Who's going to issue Florida CCW permits? $;-)
SECRETARY OF STATE
STATE TREASURER/INSURANCE COMMISSIONER
STATE COMPTROLLER
STATE EDUCATION COMMISSIONER
And you're getting a CFO.
I guess I'm so used to government growing and growing, that I'm a bit incredulous that government posts might actually be removed... !
I misspoke. You'll still have a SOS and an Education Commissioner-- but Jeb will appoint them.
Watch the rats say she really missed the qualifications and is OUT! I expect Bob Poe to bring suit. Still you think Katherine would have checked the small print on this. Time to drag Joe Klock back out again.
According to Ms. Hollarn, the Florida statutes do not require Ms. Harris to resign from her present position to run for congress, because her term of office expires on Jan 1, 2003 (when the office of Florida Sec of State is abolished), and she would not be sworn in to Congress until later that month. Only if there had been an overlap would she have been required to resign her current position.
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