DeSantis Plans Israel Cabinet Meeting Despite Legal Challenge

JERUSALEM — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to hold what state officials are describing as a ceremonial Cabinet meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem Wednesday morning despite a legal challenge from a First Amendment group and several news organizations

Opponents argue that the meeting violates Florida's Sunshine Law, which requires state Cabinet meetings to be open to the public. The 8:30 a.m. (Eastern) meeting will be televised on The Florida Channel.

"Holding a meeting of the Florida Cabinet in the embassy in Jerusalem, that is going to be a real neat thing," DeSantis said at a networking event in Israel.

The governor and the independently elected Cabinet jointly oversee several state agencies.

The meeting was organized as part of a trade mission DeSantis is leading with a delegation of nearly 100 business leaders, lawmakers, state university officials and others.

The fact that the meeting is considered "ceremonial" doesn't matter, according to First Amendment Foundation President Barbara Petersen.

"The fact that they're even saying, 'Oh, it's only ceremonial, therefore we don't have to open it to the public' shows to me a basic misunderstanding of the Sunshine Law," Petersen said. "This has nothing to do with the trade mission. This has everything to do with our Cabinet holding a meeting in a foreign county. And I don't care if they were holding the meeting in Montana, I'd have the same concern."

The court challenge seeks an order to stop the meeting. If a judge doesn't act on time, then it seeks to have the meeting declared a violation of state law and to void any actions taken during the gathering.

The members of the Florida Cabinet are Attorney General Ashley Moody, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.

The meeting agenda lists the following items:

• Invocation
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Resolution: Israeli-Florida relationship, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida cabinet
• Presentation: Victims of terror
• Presentation: Water quality
• Presentation: Emergency management
• Closing: Gov. Ron DeSantis

In Tallahassee, Floridians can listen to the meeting live on the lower level of the capitol complex.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.