Rep. Cord Byrd

Freedom of speech got a minute at the January 28 meeting of the Florida House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Subcommittee.

The subcommittee had allotted two hours for the presentation, member questions, public testimony, debate, and then a vote on HB 1, titled Combatting Public Disorder. The legislation stemmed from a Gov. Ron DeSantis press conference, attended by House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Clearwater, and Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Spring Hill, last September 21 calling for tougher laws following protests that swept the country and the state following the death of George Floyd at the hand of Minneapolis police.