Commissioner Nikki Fried Statement on Passage of HB 1

Tallahassee, Fla. — Today, HB 1: Combating Public Disorder passed the House by a vote of 76 to 39. The bill is a priority of the Governor and has faced fierce, heated criticism for harming freedom of speech. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried offered the following statement:

“Today’s debate of HB 1 shows the unintended consequences of a bill for which no Floridian asked. We’re told this is a bill that we should unite behind — which makes me wonder if we’re all reading the same bill. We can unite behind protecting the rights of free speech – that’s not what this bill does. We can unite behind reforming the criminal justice system that rehabilitates instead of exploits – that’s not what this bill does. We can unite behind our local governments in protecting the health, safety, and wellbeing of their communities — that’s not what this bill does. We can unite behind valuing human life over property – again, that’s not what this bill does, but rather the opposite. Floridians have asked for the bare minimum from their government: to help the unemployed, the sick, the hungry, and the disenfranchised. But as one lawmaker stated, this Legislature is hard of hearing. There are numerous bills that meet the people’s needs, but they languish without a hearing. The majority doesn’t have the courage to face the truth of where we are and where we need to be, with Floridians’ lives and livelihoods left to suffer the consequences.”

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