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Fine's bill would prohibit any government entity, including schools, counties, cities, and agencies from displaying any flag of a political nature.
By JEFFREY SCHWEERS/ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS DECEMBER 17, 2024 12:57 Updated: DECEMBER 17, 2024 13:09
A boy holds a Palestinian flag at a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Gaza, during a temporary truce between Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and Israel, in Frankfurt, Germany, November 25, 2023
(photo credit: REUTERS/KAI PFAFFENBACH)
Republican firebrand Randy Fine has filed a bill in the Florida Senate to ban local governments, public schools, and state universities from displaying flags promoting a “fictional” Palestine, “pro-violence” Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ rights, and other “woke” topics.
Fine, who lives in Melbourne Beach, has resigned from the Florida Legislature effective March 31 to run for Congress, so he will be in office only for half of the 2025 session. He is running for the District 6 seat to replace US Rep. Michael Waltz, R-St. Augustine has accepted the post of national security advisor for the incoming Trump administration.
A key state senator said Fine is unlikely to get the bill and other controversial measures he’s proposed in recent weeks through the Legislature before he steps down, suggesting the proposal may be more about campaign talking points than realistic lawmaking.
“Supporters of Muslim terror, child mutilators, and groomers have no right to taxpayer sponsorship of their repugnant messages,” Fine said in a news release Monday. “As I prepare to leave the Senate, I look forward to ensuring the only official place in a government building where you will find their flags is in a garbage can.”
Fine’s bill would prohibit any government entity — including cities, counties, schools, colleges, universities and agencies — from displaying any flag of a political nature, including flags about race, gender and sexual orientation, political parties, candidates, and political ideologies. The bill also says the US flag must be displayed more prominently than any other flag.
Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, St. Petersburg, and other cities have displayed rainbow flags during Pride month and other celebrations that support the LGBTQ community.
Fine’s office did not respond to a question about whether the ban would include flags promoting Back the Blue, a pro-law enforcement movement, or the state of Israel.
A series of controversial bills
It’s one of three controversial bills he’s filed for the upcoming 2025 session. One would eliminate in-state tuition for undocumented students who attended a Florida high school for three years, and the other would lower the purchasing age for rifles from 21 to 18.
“I don’t see how he’s going to get a bill through both the House and Senate” before he steps down, Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, the outgoing Senate President who will chair the powerful rules committee in the upcoming session, said during a podcast with Dara Kam of the News Service of Florida.
Fine introduced a similar flag bill in 2024 when he was still a member of the House, but it died in committee.
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“I am exhausted having to respond to these ridiculous bills people like Randy Fine keep filing instead of solving the real problems Floridians are facing,” said Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, who became the first openly gay Latin person in the Legislature when he was first elected in 2016. He is one of two openly gay males in the Senate.
Instead, Smith said lawmakers should focus on lowering costs and trying to tackle the property insurance problem, the condominium crisis, the teacher shortage, public transit, and environmental issues.
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