Shameful': Florida House Passes GOP's Anti-Protest Bill
Shameful': Florida House Passes GOP's Anti-Protest Bill
"It is now up to the Senate to heed the voices of Floridians, uphold their duty to the Constitution, and stop this bill from ever becoming law."
by Kenny Stancil, staff writer Common Dreams
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/26/shameful-florida-house-passes-gops-anti-protest-bill
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Decrying the passage of House Bill 1 in the Florida legislature on Friday, the state's ACLU chapter warned that if the undemocratic anti-protest bill pushed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is passed by the state Senate and signed into law, it would "silence and criminalize" people who want to exercise their First Amendment rights to peacefully advocate for social change.
"HB1 and SB484 represent a blatant attempt to silence and criminalize speech that runs counter to the political agendas of those currently in power in Florida."
—Micah Kubic, ACLU of Florida
"It is shameful that this bill has passed in the House," Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Florida, said in a statement. "It is clear certain legislators are more interested in earning political points with the governor than upholding the constitutional rights of their constituents."
"We've said it before and will state it again," Kubic continued: "This bill is not intended to increase public safety. It is not intended to address any public need. Over 95% of protests across the state of Florida have been peaceful."
Kubic noted that "HB1 and its companion bill, Senate Bill 484, represent a blatant attempt to silence and criminalize speech that runs counter to the political agendas of those currently in power in Florida."
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