Randy Fine
State Sen. Randy Fine, a Florida Republican expected to head to Congress, has re-upped a twice failed bill banning flags representing the gay community, Black Lives Matter, or other "politically partisan" causes on government buildings.
Fine, the state Legislature's sole Jewish Republican, says his bill for the 2025 Session will also ban the "fictional Palestinian" flag from being flown atop the state-owned buildings.
“Supporters of Muslim terror, child mutilators, and groomers have no right to taxpayer sponsorship of their repugnant messages," said Fine in a Monday morning press release. "As I prepare to leave the Senate, I look forward to ensuring the only official place in a government building that you will find their flags is in a garbage can.”
The bill, SB 100, bans government buildings, including public schools and colleges, from flying flags that represent a "political viewpoint," which it defines as any cause that is "politically partisan" or deals with racial or sexual identity. The legislation does not infringe on private citizens flying various flags on their properties. Still, it does allow "active or retired" members of the National Guard or Armed Forces to use "reasonable force" to prevent the desecration of the American flag.
This is the third time the legislation has been brought up. Fine co-sponsored the bill in the 2024 Session during his time in the State House—though the sole focus brought up then were Pride Flags and Black Lives Matter flags. This year, he's including Palestinian flags as a banned political cause atop government buildings, responding to the cultural divide created during the Israel-Hamas war.
After the terrorist organization ambushed Jewish civilians at a music festival, Americans have been split on the foreign war: do they support Palestine, which has lost tens of thousands of its people in Israel's mission to eradicate Hamas, or do they back Israel, whose people were massacred on Oct. 7, 2023?
Wholeheartedly, Fine says Israel—refusing to acknowledge Palestine as a sovereign state.
"I file bills because it is the right thing to do," Fine told The Floridian over text when asked why this year the bill will be successful compared to the past. "Then I go to work to get them passed. I certainly hope my colleagues will stand with me against those who are pushing Muslim terror."
Elected to the state Senate on Nov. 5, Fine will resign on Mar. 31 to pursue the newly vacant seat in Congressional District 6. Rep. Mike Waltz represented the deep-red district until last month when the congressman resigned ahead of becoming President-elect Donald Trump's national security adviser.
Fine will face two other lesser-known Republicans in the special election primary on Jan. 28, which he is expected to win. He will face the Democrat nominee on Apr. 1 during the special general election.
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