Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that would give him the power to legally designate certain groups as “domestic terrorist organizations.”
The bill (HB 1471) was approved in early March by an 80-25 vote. The Senate approved the bill on a 25-11 vote the week before. Senators added rules for expelling students at state universities who promote support for those organizations.
DeSantis signed the bill at a ceremony on the University of South Florida Tampa campus on Monday.
The bill backs a December executive order from DeSantis that declared two Islamic groups, the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), as terrorist organizations.
That executive order was blocked last month by a federal judge, who ruled it unconstitutional.
Republican lawmakers say the bill enables the state to ensure people’s safety.
But DeSantis said it goes beyond that.
“This will help the State of Florida protect you,” he said. “It’ll help us protect your tax dollars. It’ll help us protect things that should not be happening in the United States of America, but certainly shouldn’t be happening in the Free State of Florida.”
Lt. Gov. Jay Collins said harsh penalties will be applied to anyone who engages with those groups.
“We will designate, defund and dissolve people who don't stand for our values,” he said. “Material support, now a felony. To give money, guns or military training to those savages is a felony. Join them with intent to spill blood, also a felony. We don’t play games. We will hold you accountable, because that is what we have done in the Free State of Florida.”
The bill also prohibits courts from imposing any stipulations of a religious law, with a specific focus on Sharia Law.
Critics say the bill violates the rights to freedom of speech and due process.
Omar Saleh, lead attorney of CAIR Florida, condemned the governor’s action.
“This is just another attempt to eliminate our due process in the Constitution and weaponize state power,” he said. “This bill is not about safety or making anybody safer. It’s about giving the governor the power to use the word ‘terrorism’ as a label to politically wield it against anybody he doesn’t like.”
Saleh said that, because of the judge’s ruling on the executive order, the bill wouldn’t affect CAIR directly, but they’re concerned about the future of other Muslim groups in Florida.
“It will affect others, and when that time comes, they’ll have the option to explore litigation,” he said.
Saleh added that the group is not taking legal action right now, but will explore the option in the future if they deem it necessary.
CAIR is scheduled to hold press conferences Tuesday in Sunrise and at their state headquarters in Tampa – four miles away from where DeSantis signed the bill on Monday.
DeSantis said he expects some groups targeted by the bill will sue.
Information from the News Service of Florida was used in this report.
