Fighting Back in Florida
Dean Black refiles bill that would protect Confederate monuments
Dean Black refiles bill that would protect Confederate monuments
Memorials to those who perished in military conflict, including the Confederate side of the Civil War, would be safeguarded should newly filed preemption legislation pass.
Rep. Dean Black’s “Historic Florida Monuments and Memorials Protection Act” (HB 455) would put military monuments or memorials in place for at least 25 years under the protection of the Florida Department of State, in order to protect “accurate and factual history.”
“It is the intent of the Legislature to declare void all ordinances, regulations, and executive actions regarding the removal, damage, or destruction of historic Florida monuments or memorials which have been enacted by any local government,” the bill reads.
Only the state could remove monuments under this legislation. Local officials who flouted lawmakers’ intent could be fined up to $1,000.
As with previous versions of this bill, HB 455 would allow people who erected the memorial to sue if the law is violated, as well as those who use the edifice for “remembrance.”
If a local jurisdiction is found to have removed the monument, it would have…