JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A proposed bill in the Florida legislature could put strict limits on the types of flags that are flown outside of government buildings and even public schools in the state.
State Senator Randy Fine filed Senate Bill 100, which has neither been reviewed in committee nor passed. But if it is passed it would allow current or retired members of the military and national guard to use "reasonable force" to prevent an American flag from being taken down and replaced with a flag promoting what the bill considers to be a partisan idea like LGBTQ rights.
Senate Bill 100, which was filed by State Sen. Randy Fine of Brevard County on Monday would require all government entities to remain neutral by not displaying "a flag that represents a political viewpoint, including, but not limited to, a politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint." You can read the full text of the bill here.
This bill is only proposed, but both of the city halls in Jacksonville Beach and Jacksonville only had American flags flying on Wednesday morning.
"This proposed bill to ban flags from state building aside from the American flag is just a manufactured distraction to solve a problem that doesn't even exist," said State Rep. Angie Nixon, who represents part of Duval County.
Fine proposed a similar bill in the Florida House that failed last year.
"No rainbow flag denied us affordable housing, no Black Lives Matter flag exacerbated this insurance crisis," said Nixon, "and no social justice issue has denied us Medicaid coverage and expansion."
Fine's bill also states that public schools, colleges and universities also fall under government entities. The University of North Florida closed its Intercultural Center, Interfaith Center, LGBTQ Center, Women's Center and Office of Diversity and Inclusion back in May to comply with state law.
Wednesday morning the flags flying outside of the UNF Student Union were the American flag and flags representing branches of the military.
Nixon said that her colleagues in the legislature should focus on laws that benefit working class families.
"They don't care about flags at this point," said Nixon of working class families, "what they care about is the rising cost of rent, the rising cost of property insurance, the rising cost of food, groceries, gas, the fact that they can't afford their healthcare, the fact that they can't afford to live in their homes, that's what we should be focusing on."
There is a strong possibility that this proposed bill dies without even being voted on in the legislature. Fine is running for the congressional seat vacated by Mike Waltz, who left to join President Trump's administration as a national security advisor.
Nixon would also like the legislature to do an intensive study about home insurance issues to see what policies work well in other states. She would also like the legislature to help fund organizations that bridge the financial and economic gap that many families are dealing with due to inflation.