First Up: Confederate memorials may get legal protection from the state

Amid the hubbub of the legislative session’s opening day, legislation was filed Tuesday by two first-term Republicans that would protect “historical monuments and memorials,” including Confederate memorials. Bills by Sen. Jonathan Martin of Fort Myers and Rep. Dean Black of Jacksonville (SB 1096, HB 1607) define memorials as those that “honor or recount the military service of any past or present military personnel.”

This legislation not only protects memorials from damage or removal, but also from, well, commentary. Language in both bills says that a “plaque, sign, picture, notice, or any other object used to convey information may not be placed on or near a monument or memorial in existence on or before January 1, 2022,” without the approval of the Florida secretary of state. Violators could face “punitive damages” in any civil lawsuit brought by a “legal resident,” among possible plaintiffs. 

As of last February, there were 75 Confederate memorials still present in Florida, including one at the state Capitol. Officials in Jacksonville, in particular, have struggled over what to do with ones in that city. As the Florida Times-Union recently reported, “Wells Todd, a leader of the Take 'Em Down Jax group, said City Council is using the prospect of staging public meetings as a way to avoid a vote on the monuments while not actually having the meetings.” 

“A lot of them are afraid, I believe, to take a stand to remove these statues,” Todd told the Times-Union. Tuesday’s bills have yet to be assigned to any committees for consideration. The session is scheduled to end May 5. 

– Jim Rosica