The proposed legislation, titled the “Combating Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act,” creates new offenses targeting violence at protests, increases penalties and implements other hardline actions. One “citizen and taxpayer protection measure” would prohibit state grants and aid to local governments that slash law enforcement budgets, a direct counter to the “Defund the Police” movement.
“If you defund the police, then the state is going to defund any grant or aid coming to you,” DeSantis told reporters.
That legislation would be a focal point of the 2021 Legislative Session, DeSantis said, standing beside Senate President-Designate Wilton Simpson and House Speaker-Designate Chris Sprowls.
The rise in protests, which followed George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, have brought mostly peaceful demonstrations, but violent actions as well. Leaders of both parties have denounced violent protests, but Republicans and President Donald Trump have made combatting violence central to their law and order message.
DeSantis called the current moment “a really, really sad chapter in American history” with morale at a low in law enforcement nationwide.
“Recently in our country, we have seen attacks on law enforcement, we’ve seen disorder and tumult in many cities across the country,” he said. “You’ll have situations where buildings will be in flames and on TV, even though sometimes the news will say it’s peaceful, you see the flames behind there.”
Certain violent actions at protests could draw felonies under the proposed bill. Damage to property or injury to people by a group of violent demonstrators would be a third-degree felony, as would obstructing traffic during an unsanctioned or violent protest.
Drivers fleeing a “mob” would not be liable for injury or death.
Florida hasn’t had violence or looting like in Kenosha, Portland and other cities named during the press conference. But Tallahassee, including outside the Historic Capitol Building, has seen unsanctioned protests that block roadways or lead to violent responses from motorists.
Destroying public property, including monuments, would be a second-degree felony under the proposal. Participating in a violent or disorderly assembly to harass or intimidate a person at a public accommodation, such as a restaurant, would be a first-degree misdemeanor.
The bill would also stiffen jail penalties, including creating a six-month mandatory minimum sentence for striking an officer, including with a projectile, during a violent or disorderly assembly. Other heightened offenses include traveling from out of state to participate in such a protest.
This article first appeared at Florida Politics.
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This article appears in Sep 17-23, 2020.