Contentious “culture war” bills loom less large this Florida legislative session than in past years.
The Senate, House and governor’s office are no longer in near-complete lockstep, ending a period marked by a steady stream of legislation boosting Gov. Ron DeSantis’ national profile before the 2024 presidential election.
Instead, they’re locking horns over issues like government spending and taxes. Florida’s cost of living is high, and so are tensions over how to fix it.
Some of those most loudly opposed to the so-called war on “woke” are noting that it's taken more of a backseat.
“We see it as a hopeful sign that far fewer bills specifically targeting the LGBTQ community have been filed this year,” said Stratton Pollitzer, co-founder and deputy director of Equality Florida, the state’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization.
“Maybe, just maybe, more legislators are growing tired of the cruelty, the distractions and the endless culture wars,” he continued, speaking at a press conference last month.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t high-profile, high-stakes proposals that advocacy groups like his are monitoring.
“Make no mistake: The bills that have been filed are still extraordinarily dangerous, and as long as they’re on the agenda we will be here to fight them,” Pollitzer said.
Here are some of the bills that are generating outcry from advocates and others:
Pronoun prohibition
Some Florida lawmakers are pushing legislation that would prohibit requiring public employees and state contractors from referring to someone with pronouns that don’t align with their sex assigned at birth.
The bill, SB 440, also requires state or local government employment forms and applications to only include male and female options.
It also bans required instruction or training on “sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression” for public employees.
The legislation passed its first Senate panel in late March, with Democrats voting in opposition. It has two stops to go before it reaches the Senate floor, but a House committee has yet to hear a similar measure, HB 1495.
Republican Sen. Stan McClain of Ocala emphasized the legislation didn’t affect private employees.
“This bill is about (a public) employer coercing an employee to have to do certain things,” he said.
A number of LGBTQ+ advocates spoke in opposition.
“Erasure is oppression,” said Letitia Harmon, senior director of policy and research at Florida Rising. “Calling someone names they don’t want to be called is bullying. This is legislative bullying.”
DEI in state agencies, medical school targeted
Another bill moving through the Legislature targets diversity, equity and inclusion spending at state agencies.
The legislation, SB 1710, would prevent spending money on DEI offices and officers, and it requires contractors and grantees to certify that state dollars won’t be used for DEI activities.
Separately, the legislation affects “medical institutions of higher education,” like medical schools and other health care training centers.
The bill says students taking required courses must have letter grades instead of pass-fail assessments.
It would also require “a standardized admissions test focused on knowledge of and critical thinking skills for science and medical training,” something supporters say would prevent DEI in the admissions process.
The Senate sponsor of the bill, Republican Sen. Nick DiCeglie of Indian Rocks Beach, mentioned last month that he may remove the medical school provisions from the bill due to the differing subject matter.
“I believe in the fundamental principle where individuals are judged by their abilities, their work ethic and their character, not by their race, their gender or any other identity marker,” he said.
The bill passed its first of three committees last month. Democrats voted against it.
"I was given no examples of a problem that a state agency is too 'DEI-focused,' " said Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton. "I think this bill is confusing. It's unfair. It's not smart. It's not using our best resources. It's offensive to many."
Meanwhile, similar House legislation, HB 731, was amended to only include the medical school provisions.
Eyes also on local government DEI
Lawmakers are also taking aim at DEI in local governments.
A bill, SB 420, that would ban them from funding or promoting DEI has made it through a committee, though consideration was postponed at a second one last week.
Florida Politics reports that Jacksonville Republican Sen. Clay Yarborough, the bill sponsor, is unsure if it has a path forward this session. If it does, he says it would be amended.
In its current form, county or city leaders who violate the DEI prohibition would commit “misfeasance or malfeasance in office,” making them liable for big court costs.
“As a former local official, I understand that local governments are tasked with heavy burdens and heavy loads,” Yarborough said at the first committee stop. “We need to focus on core essential services.”
Democrats seared the measure: “What’s so wrong with ensuring that access is given to these individuals?” said Democratic Sen. Shevrin Jones of Miami Gardens, after mentioning various groups, including veterans, the Black community and those with disabilities.
A similar House bill, HB 1571, hasn’t been heard in committee yet.
Not done with school library legislation
Lawmakers are also pursuing legislation that opponents say would dramatically boost book removals in Florida — again.
The state already has more removals in public school libraries than any other state, according to recent reports. That’s in large part due to past laws passed by GOP state lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The new measure would prevent public school officials from considering a book’s “potential literary, artistic, political, or scientific value” when it’s challenged for being “harmful to minors.”
Some bill proponents accuse school districts of using that standard to keep age-inappropriate books on the shelves.
"The desire is to protect our children," said Republican Rep. Doug Bankson of Apopka, the bill sponsor.
A House panel approved its chamber's version of the legislation, HB 1539, last week. It has two stops left before it can reach the floor.
The Senate bill, SB 1692, has also moved, but a committee vote was postponed last week.
Opponents, including best-selling author Judy Blume, say it would not only prompt mass removals but that many classics would be affected, too.
"What message does this send to young people anyway? Books are bad. Books are dangerous. There's something in these books we don't want you to know," Blume said at a Friday press conference opposing the legislation.
Flag forbidding focus
Another bill bans governmental entities, including colleges and K-12 schools, from displaying a flag representing a “political viewpoint.”
The legislation doesn’t define the term, but it does say it includes – but is not limited to – “a politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint.”
“The idea is whether it’s political viewpoints we agree with or disagree with, let’s keep that stuff out of government buildings,” former Sen. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, said at a recent meeting. He’s a sponsor of the bill, SB 100.
Fine’s time in the Legislature ended last week. He won a special election for an open U.S. congressional seat.
The legislation also says that active or retired military members "may at any time use reasonable force to prevent the desecration, destruction, or removal of the United States flag."
First Amendment advocacy groups spoke out against the measure. That includes PEN America, which said it “explicitly targets racial and LGBTQ+ identities and symbols,” referring to Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ pride flags.
“We urge the Florida legislature to reject (the bill) based on its likely First Amendment violations and the specific harm it will cause Floridians of color and LGBTQ+ individuals,” said Katie Blankenship, director of the group’s Florida chapter, in a letter to the Senate.
With Fine gone, it’s uncertain whether the legislation, which has failed in the past, will have the same momentum. The legislation does have another sponsor, Fort Myers Republican Sen. Jonathan Martin.
A similar House bill, HB 75, has yet to be heard by a committee.
Confederate monument concern
Public property monuments and memorials that are older than 25 years old would be protected by another proposal.
It follows the removal of Confederate statues seen in recent years statewide and across the nation.
Similar legislation has not made it to the finish line in the past. And there are signs that could happen again this session.
The House bill, HB 1599, hasn’t budged.
The Senate bill, SB 1816, also hasn’t been approved by a committee.
That’s because at the Senate bill’s first committee stop late last month, lawmakers opted to end the meeting right after a long, contentious public comment period — before a vote.
They cited running out of time, though it’s not uncommon for meetings to get extended.
Supporters of the legislation say they want to protect history. Those who testified against the bill accused it of being state overreach, forcing local governments to safeguard Confederate symbols.
“We’ve seen firsthand how Confederate symbols don’t just protect our past, they fuel modern day hate,” said Jonathan Webber, the Florida policy director for the Southern Poverty Law Center.
If you have any questions about the legislative session, you can ask the Your Florida team by clicking here.
This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
