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Governor urges constitutional action after Supreme Court ruling on birthright citizenship
Summary
At a Liberty County ceremony unveiling a replica Liberty Bell, the governor criticized a five-to-four U.S. Supreme Court decision on birthright citizenship, called out historical inconsistencies he said the ruling raises, and said he would support steps — including an Article V convention — to clarify the 14th Amendment.
At the Liberty County unveiling of a replica Liberty Bell, the governor responded to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on birthright citizenship, saying the ruling departs from the amendment’s "original understanding" and creates policy problems that the political branches should address.
The governor said the court’s decision — a five-to-four ruling, he said — did not square with historical practice and cited the Dred Scott era and later congressional action regarding Native Americans to argue the 14th Amendment’s original public meaning is narrower than some modern interpretations. "I think it creates a lot of problems," he said, adding that historical practice did not contemplate short-term "birth tourism" resulting in automatic citizenship.
Why this matters: the governor framed the ruling as a constitutional-interpretation issue that could affect immigration policy and federal-state relations. He said clarifying language or political action is necessary to prevent what he described as unintended consequences.
During a later question-and-answer exchange, an attendee asked whether Florida should join other states in calling an Article V convention to fix the issue. The governor said he supports ongoing state efforts for Article V conventions on other subjects and would be "supportive" of clarifying language, but cautioned that an Article V convention is a difficult path — requiring 34 states to call one — and that there are other executive and congressional options to respond.
He framed the choices narrowly: Congress could act, the executive branch has tools, and states can pursue Article V, but none are assured. "We're already leading the efforts for an article 5 convention for both term limits for members of Congress as well as for a federal balanced budget requirement," he said, noting the procedural and political hurdles.
The governor did not announce any immediate legislation or executive orders at the event. He characterized the decision as politically and legally consequential and said the "political branches need to start stepping up" to supply clarity.
Ending: The remarks came during a public unveiling of a Liberty Bell replica; the governor answered follow-up questions but offered no formal action timeline from his office.
