Introduction
Anthony Sabatini is a Republican member of the Florida Legislature representing the state's 32nd House district. The 32nd District of Florida encompasses mostly South Lake County and some of North Lake County.
Early Life, Education, and Personal Life
Sabatini was born in Smithtown, New York in 1988 and moved with his family to Florida the following year. He is an officer in the Florida Army National Guard and Florida State Representative from Florida House District 32. He earned bachelor's degrees in Philosophy and History from the University of Florida in 2012 and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law in 2017.
Sabatini was elected to the Eustis City Commission in 2016 and resigned from the office on April 30, 2018 to focus his attention on his Florida House campaign.
Florida House of Representatives
Sabatini defeated two other candidates, Monica Wofford and Shannon Elswick, to win the August 28, 2018 Republican primary, winning 46.7% of the vote. In the November 6, 2018 general election, Sabatini defeated Democrat Cynthia Brown, taking 56.48% of the vote.
Legislative Activities
In 2019, Sabatini sponsored HB 829 and HB 7101 both of these bills passed through the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate and were placed on the desk of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
HB 829 Attorney Fees & Costs, imposes an award of attorneys fees, costs, and damages in civil actions against local governments when individuals and organizations have to bring lawsuits against municipalities and counties for violating preemption laws.
HB 7101 relates to Epidiolex, which is a prescription cannabidoil, a psychoactive compound derived from the cannabis plant and is used to treat seizures. The bill classifies Epidiolex as a Schedule V controlled substance, mirroring federal law. The Schedule V classification reflects the substance's newly approved medical use. Rescheduling Epidiolex into Schedule V prevents an interruption in the supply of the drug to Florida Patients.
Controversies
In February 2019, a photo of Sabatini wearing blackface was mailed anonymously to media outlets, leading some lawmakers to call for his resignation.
During Trump's reelection bid announcement in Orlando on June 18, 2019, a rallygoer attacked an Orlando Sentinel reporter filming the event.The reporter tweeted the encounter to which Sabatini replied "MAGA".Sabatini said that he routinely replies “MAGA” to Sentinel reporting and wanted to counter what he considered “ridiculous” coverage of the rally.