District 3 Santa Rosa County Commissioner James Calkins stirred up controversy again Thursday with proposed resolutions on two hot-button issues that were late additions to the agenda.
Board members voted unanimously for a resolution to designate June as “Pro Life Month” in the county. But, they declined to officially support Calkins’ proposal to encourage the Santa Rosa School Board to immediately remove pornographic books out of school libraries.
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“The goal here is to send a message, that’s it, that we do not accept pornography in our schools,” said Calkins, taking up a cause championed by his wife.
Maryia Calkins is the chair of theSanta Rosa Chapter of Moms for Liberty and was sitting in the front row during the meeting.
Acknowledging potential questions about whether it’s the county’s place to pass such a resolution, Commissioner Calkins pointed to a very small online poll and calls from constituents for the board to take a stand on the book removal issue, as he said the board has done on other issues in the past.
“We have a right to tell the schools that they shouldn’t have pornographic material in our schools. That’s it, that’s all it is, no pornographic material. We don’t have make a motion on it. We just all could say, ‘Hey, we don’t agree with that.’”
Ultimately, fellow board members weighed in with their personal opinions, but opted not to take an official position as a group.
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“I’ll go on the record just saying I certainly don’t support pornography involving children or children being exposed to pornography; I would think we all agree on that,” said board chair Colten Wright.
However, Wright said there’s a process in place for dealing with the issue and, legally, it doesn’t involve commissioners. He recommended they “stay in their lane.”
“I certainly wouldn’t want any school board member to come in here and start telling us how we should run the county and what we should with retention ponds, roads and any other thing, other than their personal opinion as a resident,” declared Wright.
“I personally don’t think the school board needs to tell the Board of County Commissioners how to operate and I don’t think we should tell the school board how to operate.”
Other commissioners agreed with that argument. Additionally, Sam Parker and Ray Eddington suggested that stopping teens from accessing pornographic material is a tough task.
“Well, I don’t have no kids in school, mine are grown,” Eddington began. “But, if kids want to look at this stuff, they’re gonna find it.”
At the end of the discussion regarding removal of pornographic books, there was no vote or public comments and commissioners quickly transitioned to Calkins’ second proposed resolution to designate June as “Pro Life Month” in Santa Rosa County in celebration of the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson case that overturned Roe v. Wade.
“If we pass this today, as far as I know, is we’ll be the first county in the United States of America to designate June as 'Pro Life Month,'" proclaimed Calkins, who was also behind the 2020 referendum to make Santa Rosa County the first county in Florida to be designated as a pro-life sanctuary.
RELATED:Pro-Life Sanctuary Resolution On Santa Rosa Ballot
After he read the resolution, commissioners voted unanimously, without discussion, to adopt the resolution, receiving a round of applause from many in board chambers.
While commissioners were generally supportive of the resolution issues, Parker was first to suggest Calkins might be playing politics. But, he settled for just asking for future items from board members to be submitted earlier.
"Quite frankly, preparing for a meeting takes time," Parker said. "It takes time sometimes to think about issues and to research them. But it also gives the public ample opportunity."
But, Commissioner Kerry Smith, who's been at odds with Calkins recently, was more directly critical of him for bringing politically divisive issues to the board.
"Because, sir, you're grandstanding," Smith declared. "There's nothing in this world that I hate more than the lives of little babies being taken, but you're using this as a political ploy."
Wright also called Calkins for political grandstanding, adding that his posturing is hurting the county.
“I just want to caution board members in doing things that are intentionally controversial and a way to drive a wedge between people and draw attention to ourselves as Santa Rosa County, it is jeopardizing our ability to attract businesses,” Wright stated, adding that some businesses that had planned to relocate are now considering not coming to Santa Rosa County.
In short, Wright asked Calkins to properly notice his commissioner items and suggested he try to stick to appropriate county-level issues and avoid national, political hot-button issues that the board has no jurisdiction over.
“I don’t put things (on the agenda) that I want; I put things that people want. So, I will stand up for the people and what they want,” responded Calkins, defending his actions.
“I respect y’all, but don’t lecture me on what I bring up to the board. Y’all are welcome to vote how you want.”
By this point, as it has been with previous meetings recently on issues brought forward by or involving the District 3 commissioner, the tone of the debate had turned contentious.
Members of the public were becoming restless and shouting out for a chance to speak and Calkins made a motion to let them speak, continuing to push the issue.
Wright, who abruptly ended the public forum discussion earlier in the morning after dealing with a combative speaker, again stepped in as board chairman and demanded that people in the audience display order and respect.
“So, I’m just going to remind everyone, if you speak out from the audience — and you haven’t been recognized by the chairman and by this board — that you will be carried out of this room,” he warned. “This is enough.”
