Despite Iranian Nuclear Deal, CFO Wants More State Sanctions

WFSU | By Jim Ash

Published September 30, 2015 at 6:14 PM EDT

Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater wants to strengthen state sanctions against Iran in the wake of President Barack Obama's nuclear deal.

Fallout from President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran is spilling over to Tallahassee, as Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater pushes to tighten Florida’s economic sanctions against the outlaw nation

Atwater was a state senator in 2007 when he forced Florida to drop more than $1 billion in investments tied to Iran. But his law leaves the door open for a presidential override.

Now Iran is promising to give up its nuclear ambitions, Obama is promising to pressure states to drop their economic sanctions -- and Atwater has a problem.

He wants the Legislature to head off Obama at the pass and close the loophole, says spokeswoman Ashley Carr.

“To explore any and all measures. Be it a statutory revision, a constitutional amendment, resolution, proclamation, any and all available measures.”

At first it was about punishing a state sponsor of terrorism. Now it’s more than that, Carr says.

“The CFO feels strongly that a state can invest funds or not invest funds where it chooses and that it’s a matter of state right.”

Congressional Republicans have been unable to Block the deal but some are threatening to go to court.