'Its a start:' Anti-hate law moves through

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A proposed law is moving through Tallahassee that would make it a felony for hate groups to harass people for their religion or ethnicity.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) named Florida as the third worst state in the country for Jewish hate.

HB 269 and companion SB 994, aka Public Nuisances, “Prohibits person from distributing onto private property any material for purpose of intimidating or threatening owner, resident, or invitee; prohibits person from willfully & maliciously harassing, threatening, or intimidating another person based on person’s wearing or displaying of any indicia relating to any religious or ethnic heritage; requires violations be reported as hate crimes; prohibits display or projection of images onto building, structure, or property without permission; prohibits person who willfully enters campus of state university or Florida College System institution for purpose of threatening or intimidating another person from remaining on such campus after being warned to depart.”

Antisemitic mailers dumped on driveways, like Brevard County Rep. Randy Fine claimed his son found, hateful words projected on stadiums and speedways  and neo-Nazis harassing Jewish people all would be a felony under a new Florida law if it passes.

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State Senator Alexis Calatayud, a Republican representing Miami-Dade, sponsored the bill.

“Our state has seen exponential increase in ethnic and religiously motivated crimes threats and imitate intimidation,” Calatayud said. “This is unacceptable.”

The bill sailed through the state Senate Rules Committee in Tallahassee Monday afternoon.

Keith Dvorchik, CEO of Shalom Orlando, said the bill is a good start for people of all faiths and ethnicities.

“I think what we’re seeing is that our legislature has realized hate is not acceptable and they’re taking a public stance addressing things in a legal manner to make this type of hate speech a crime,” Dvorchik said. “And one of the things I really like about this legislation is the way that it doesn’t single out any individual group. It doesn’t matter who your hate is targeted towards. Whatever religious group it is, ethnic group it is, everybody’s covered. I think that’s incredibly important.”

Dvorchik said the Central Florida Jewish community has been growing more fearful by the day.

“We had an event here [at the Jewish Community Center in Maitland] last night, 120, 150 people or so,” Dvorchik said. “It was a public event. So we had our security enhanced for it. And we heard from people afterwards who were so grateful because they wanted to come but they were so afraid. And when they came and saw that we had the level of security that we had last night it made them feel comfortable enough to make them actually come and participate in Jewish life. That’s sad. So afraid. They were telling us there are places they don’t go. A number of people I hear no longer wear their Star of David or their Chai or anything that identifies them as being Jewish. Because they’re so afraid. Here in Central Florida. People I know.”

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood has been getting death threats because of his strong stance against antisemitism, even greeting suspected threat-makers at the airport in handcuffs.

“Preventing them [Jewish people] from trying to get in a Synagogue or out of a Synagogue or blocking their entrances, that’s going to be aggravated stalking,” Chitwood said. “The projecting on the side of the Speedway and hateful antisemitic messages on private properties, that’s a felony.”

Chitwood said more hate groups are coming to Florida and the Public Nuisances bill would help put them in jail for expressing their hate.

“If you go on private property, if you project it on private property, you’re going to get hit with a felony,” Chitwood said. “Don’t forget, these clowns for the most part don’t cover up their identities as of now and people have Ring cameras all over the place, cameras all over.”

The bill already passed the house unanimously and now continues to move through the Senate heading for the Senate floor. It would have to pass in the full Senate before the session ends next week.

If it passes, it becomes law immediately.

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