TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A Florida state senator introduced a bill Monday aimed at preventing flags representing political viewpoints, race, sexual orientation, gender, and more from being displayed at public schools, colleges, universities, and government buildings.
Florida State Sen. Randy Fine, R-Melbourne Beach introduced Senate Bill 100, which if passed, would ban flags that are deemed political or ideological. This bill will be up for discussion in Florida’s legislative session in March.
This bill did not pass in the 2024 legislative session.
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The bill doesn’t specify exactly which flags would be banned, but Senator Fine’s press release highlights flags related to movements like Black Lives Matter and Palestine as examples of the types of flags that could be restricted.
Additionally, it targets flags supporting political candidates and other ideological views.
“Senator Randy Fine (R-Melbourne Beach) filed SB 100 to ban the flying of political flags in government buildings. Among others, SB 100 would ban the use of fictional country flags like “Palestine,” pro-violence “Black Lives Matter” flags, woke and pro-grooming ideological flags, and the flags of any political candidates in government buildings,” the press release states.
Amy Donofrio, a former Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) teacher, spoke out against the bill.
Donofrio, who won a $300,000 lawsuit after being removed from the school for “several matters” related to allegations of misconduct, including refusing to take down a Black Lives Matter flag in her classroom, said the idea of banning flags tied to certain causes goes too far.
“What is political?” she said, reflecting on her time at DCPS. “In my case, the district defined anything related to issues as political, even things like world hunger and breast cancer. Where does it end?”
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Donofrio believes that certain flags, like the Black Lives Matter flag, are a way for individuals to express their pain and highlight ongoing struggles.
“Black lives absolutely matter, and it’s a simple fact. People are saying that because they feel like they were being treated as if they didn’t matter,” she said.
News4JAX also spoke with Fine to clarify what he considers a “political flag.” In his words, political flags advocate for an ideology or political message.
“For example, a flag like Palestine. That’s not a place that exists,” Fine said. “These are political messages that not everyone agrees with.”
Fine also mentioned flags related to transgender issues and political candidates as examples of flags that would fall under the bill’s restrictions.
In his press release, Fine did not specifically mention the Confederate flag. When asked about this omission, Fine responded that any flag meeting the criteria in the bill would be banned.
“If it meets the definition as laid out in the bill, then you would not be able to fly it,” Fine explained.
The full details of Senate Bill 100 will be discussed further during Florida’s legislative session in March.