Support Working Animals, Inc. v. DeSantis
United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida
457 F. Supp. 3d 1193 (2020)
- Written by Abby Roughton, JD
Facts
Greyhound racing was historically significant in Florida’s pari-mutuel-wagering industry. However, in November 2018, Florida voters approved an amendment to Florida’s constitution prohibiting dog-racing for wagering purposes. Support Working Animals, Inc. and members of Florida’s greyhound-racing industry (collectively, the racers) (plaintiffs) sued Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Secretary of State Laurel Lee, and Attorney General Ashley Moody (collectively, the officials) (defendants) in federal district court, asserting that the amendment was unconstitutional because it violated the (1) Takings Clause (because the amendment deprived the racers of substantially all economically beneficial use of their racing dogs and dog-racing equipment, among other things); (2) Equal Protection Clause (because Florida still permitted wagering on other types of animal racing); (3) Contracts Clause (by generally impairing the racers’ contracts); and (4) Due Process Clause (by arbitrarily and capriciously depriving the racers of their property rights). The officials moved to dismiss, arguing that the racers lacked standing, that the racers’ claims were not ripe for adjudication, that the officials were immune from suit, and that the racers had not sufficiently alleged that the amendment was unconstitutional. After concluding that the racers had standing and that their claims were ripe, the court considered the officials’ other arguments.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Walker, C.J.)
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