“This legislation includes enhanced criminal penalties for offenses already codified by law,” Quince and Brigham write. “Innocent bystanders caught in a protest gone unruly could find themselves arrested and thrown in jail for the night, their bail eliminated before a first court appearance after their arrest.
It is disturbing to watch DeSantis and some members of the Florida Legislature spending time and public money to advance a proposed law that’s completely unnecessary.
The Florida legislation is part of a coordinated attack on the people’s right to protest. Similar measures have been proposed in other states, pushed by a secretive conservative national group, the American Legislative Exchange Council a so-called “bill mill” that creates business-friendly legislation to hand over to like-minded politicians in state legislatures.