The Legislature responded Wednesday to a surge of antisemitic activity in Florida with a bill targeting neo-Nazi tactics.
House Bill 269, co-sponsored by Rep. Randy Fine, R-Brevard County, passed the Senate on a 40-to-0 vote and awaits the governor's signature.
Florida had a 42% increase in antisemitic incidents last year,according to the Anti-Defamation League. These incidents include flyers thrown in yards, roadside harassment, graffiti and messages projected onto buildings.
"The Legislature is recognizing that hate, in particular antisemitism, is on the rise," said Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood. "They're sending a clear message that we're not going to tolerate that."
The bill ramps up the penalties for religion-based or ethnicity-based harassment and outlaws projecting images on buildings without permission -- and makes that a felony if perceived as a threat.
It also becomes a crime to litter someone's yard for purposes of intimidation. If that creates fear, it, too, could be a felony.
"Folks of the Jewish faith are like, this is not free speech, this is goddamn targeting me. They're putting a target on my back," Chitwood said. "This is a threat to harm my family. That's what the homeowner perceives when they open their front door. And that's what this bill is targeting."
In supporting the bill, Sen. Lori Berman, a Democrat from Palm Beach County, noted that Wednesday was Israel's independence day, its 75th birthday as a country.
Berman said she wished the bill, which focuses on harassment for religious and ethnic reasons, could be expanded to other groups, like those targeted for their sexual orientation or gender -- "because we know that there are a lot of incidents in this state of hate crimes and we need to protect all groups."
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