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House Bill 395, filed by Florida Representative Dean Black, is designed to protect historical monuments, especially those honoring Confederate soldiers.
There are currently 75 Confederate memorials in Florida, according to a 2022 report by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Thirty have been removed since 2015.
The bill grants the Governor authority to remove local officials who participate in the removal of such monuments and imposes severe financial penalties for these actions, payable from personal funds of the officials.
It also restricts local control over monument removal, with exceptions for construction projects. Furthermore, the bill calls for the reinstatement of a Confederate General’s statue at state expense by July 2025.
It addresses retroactive penalties for monument damages post-2016 and involves potential withholding of cultural funding from localities that do not comply with the monument preservation directives.
The legislation has sparked debate, reflecting a deep divide within the community, as evidenced by a recent poll indicating a split public opinion on the presence of Confederate memorials in Jacksonville.
