Governor's anti-protest bill gets through 1st committee hearing-on partisan vote

As expected, Florida’s House Bill 1, the governor’s priority anti-protest law disguised as an “anti-rioting” measure, passed its first committee meeting Wednesday — along partisan lines.

The 11-6 vote at the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Subcommittee followed a hearing of more than two hours with about 70 public commenters, most against the bill, and the GOP legislators all backing sponsor State Rep. Juan Alfonso Fernandez-Barquin (R-Kendall).

Critics call it a racist knee-jerk reaction born from the ultra right fear of the Black Lives Movement protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd in May. Proponents say it is a measure meant to stem the looting and violence that some hoodlums aprovechados use protests as cover to commit their crimes.

“Our job is to fix something that’s broken or improve something that could be better,” said State Rep. Michael Grieco (D-Miami Beach), the committee’s Democratic ranking member, adding that this bill only “tramples” on basic constitutional rights of all Floridians.

“Florida has a lot more than 99 problems and this bill doesn’t solve any of them,” Grieco said, quoting Jay-Z.

“People across the political spectrum are angry and dissatisfied with government, and this bill just gives them another reason to feel that way while chilling their desire to speak out,” Grieco said.

The reality is that the bill creates a brand new third degree felony called “aggravated rioting” when there is a protest with more than nine people and/or any property damage of $5,000 or more. It doesn’t seem to matter who does the property damage, all nine protesters are guilty.

Wait, that’s not all. It also eliminates bail for protesters arrested. Like my niece, Isabel, a 22-year-old FIU student who was arrested while sitting on the sidewalk during a BLM march on the streets around the school. Charges were eventually dropped, as they were against most everybody arrested on bogus disorder charges to quell the demonstrations.

But we were able to bail her out rather than leave her in jail during a COVID-19 pandemic. Under the new law, we’d have to wait until a first court appearance. And she was arrested on a Saturday.

Republican supporters said the law is about public safety, but it’s not.

This bill would do nothing to keep us safe from looters and rioters who are already criminals and only take advantage of lawful, peaceful protests to commit their crimes. Burglary, theft and vandalism are already chargeable, arrestable offenses.

Why do we need this law? We don’t. It’s a political ploy by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is losing ground, and favorability points, on the COVID war.

In the works since DeSastre announced it last fall, the bill has evolved most recently to include reference to the Capitol siege on Jan. 6 — in what looks like a blatant effort to rally Democrat support.

It failed to do that. Not one Dem voted in favor. Because those people are already getting arrested for crimes that already exist.

“This is the first crack, and the first committee step,” Fernandez-Barquin said. “And I look forward to working on it with this committee.”

Grieco said he had gotten thousands of emails and spoke to dozens of people who were against the drastic measure and that only one thing could improve the bill. “You can shred it,” he said to applause. “You can forget it.

“I am proud to call the sponsor of this bill my friend. But I could not be more down on your bill,” Grieco told Fernandez-Barquin, giving two thumbs down.

But the bill passed its first gate. And, if Wednesday’s vote is an indication, it will pass in a Republican-held House.

Unless we the people do something, that is. There is still time to write and call your state rep. In Miami-Dade, that would be these Republicans who support the bill and need to be told to step off our civil rights:

State Rep. Demi “Wife of Kevin” Busatta Cabrera (R-Coral Gables) can be reached at 850-717-5114 or 305-910-4236 and you can send her an email here.

State Rep. Alex Rizo (R-Hialeah/Miami Lakes) can be reached at 850-717-5110 or 305-364-4126 at the Hialeah District office, 3798 West 12th Ave., Suite A. Or you can email him at this link.

And, of course, Fernandez-Barquin, who can be reached at 850-717-5119 or 305-222-4119 at his district office. Or you can email him at this link.

*_{Sponsoring State Rep. Fernandez-Barquin and yeas Demi Busatta Cabrera and Alex Rizo}*

Let’s fill their inboxes and eat up their voice mail time.

This is especially important if you are a voter in any of these districts, whether Democrat or Republican. Please let these legislators know that you can vote to reelect them, but only if they truly represent the community’s best interest over the party’s and that this is their first test.

Then there are the other lawmakers who supported the bill in committee. The link on each takes you to their phone numbers and emails:

Tell your friends who live there to call them and write them. Let our legislators know that this is not what we need right now. Our lawmakers need to prioritize our needs, not the governor’s political plays.

As anyone can see, the Republicans outnumber Democrats, which is the only reason the bill advanced.

“You all are in charge,” Grieco said at the hearing. “You can run whatever bill you want and there’s not much that I and my colleagues on the blue team can do about it.

“But just because you can do something, doesn’t mean that you should.”

Juan Fernandez-Barquin, Michael Grieco, Ron DeSantis

Governor’s anti-protest bill gets through 1st committee hearing–on partisan vote added by Ladra on January 27, 2021
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