(TALLAHASSEE) — A coalition of Florida-based grassroots education, free expression and youth advocacy organizations will gather at the statehouse on Tues., Mar. 11 to speak out on bills that would undermine free speech and free expression, freedom of the press, immigrants’ rights, and LGBTQ+ rights.
However, the groups support at least two bills introduced by lawmakers that seek to undo many of the censorial trends of the past few years, especially the harmful bills that have undermined public education, led to a terrifying number of book bans, and eroded academic freedom. While these bills have little chance of survival in the super majority in Tallahassee, PEN America Florida applauds and supports the efforts to protect the right to read and learn.
One of the two bills the coalition supports, HB 811, the “Freedom to Learn” Act, aims to reverse the censorship agenda in public schools that has been pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The “Freedom to Learn Act,” was introduced by Rep. Angela “Angie” Nixon, D-District 13 to walk back the harms of bills such as the Stop WOKE Act, the “Don’t Say Gay” law, HB 1069, which streamlines the book ban process in Florida, and SB 266, which prohibits funding campus initiatives or programs related to social or political activism in state colleges and universities.
Another bill the groups support, HB 609 establishes a precedent for ensuring that state colleges and universities are free from political influence and interference without resorting to censorious tactics. HB 609 rejects the idea that students should be “shielded” from ideas that they may find uncomfortable. The coalition said the notion of shielding students is unacceptable as the opposite is true: encountering diverse ideas is necessary for a rigorous and quality education.
The nine groups, PEN America Florida, Our Florida, EDUVOTER, Moms For Libros, PRISM FL, Defense of Democracy, Miami Freedom Project, local Interfaith Alliance chapters, and the Saint Johns County Voters for Public Schools are mobilizing on Lobby Day to protect the freedom to read against what they view as manufactured moral panic over books and lessons in Florida’s public schools.
PEN America Florida Director Katie Blankenship said, “Governor Ron DeSantis’ recent State of the State Address demonstrated a fundamental misunderstanding on the issues most relevant to Floridians. Regrettably, he’s still focused on stamping out “wokeness” and feeding into culture war rhetoric, even though this has proved so destructive to our education system, our educators’ livelihoods, and our student’s educational prospects. He equates issues of free speech, civil rights, and the societal unrest we are facing nationwide with ‘noxious ideologies and trendy but empty social fads.’ Maybe that’s how it looks from where he sits, but to us, and to the rest of Florida, his perspective continues to inject poison into public education.”
The coalition formed under the United Voices Network, a collective of Florida organizers, activists, parents, students and others that seek to end educational censorship in the Sunshine State, which since 2021 has seen countless of attacks against teachers and school districts —whether through laws, or the continued spread of disinformation and distrust over books in schools and libraries. The United Voices Network prioritizes strengthening and protecting the state public education system.
Chair of EDUVOTER Crystal Etienne said, “Privatization schemes are diverting taxpayer dollars away from public schools, leaving them underfunded and struggling to provide quality education for all students. EDUVOTER stands against political interference that threatens academic freedom and the integrity of public education.”
Executive Director of Our Florida, Gabriela Diaz-Vendrell said, “These laws burden the quality of public education, pushing students away from education, one of the few tools they have to build their futures. We are better than this. Our students deserve better than this. When we limit what can be taught, we not only limit what our students can learn but who they can become.”
The coalition will speak out against these bills:
SB 100, “Display of Flags by Governmental Entities,” which would ban flags that represent “political viewpoints” from public schools, colleges and universities, naming “racial, sexual orientation and gender” as the viewpoints being targeted. SB 100, the groups say, infringes on Floridians’ self expression protected under the First Amendment.
HB 855 – “Postsecondary Education” would prohibit all Florida universities, public and private, from admitting undocumented students. HB 855 blatantly violates the Constitution which ensures that undocumented peoples are guaranteed equal protection under the law, which includes access to public education. The coalition states that immigrants are essential to the very fabric of Florida’s history and day-to-day life and play an especially key role in our workforce. HB855 is not only constitutionally unviable—it is cruel and unnecessary.
SB 752 – “Defamation, False Light, and Unauthorized Publication of Name or Likenesses” requires news articles and broadcasts to be removed from the Internet within a specified period to limit damages for defamation, providing immunity to certain persons if they “exercise due care to prevent publication or utterance” of defamation. News is an unfolding historical record written in real time without the benefit of prognostication of future events, and punishing journalists for reporting on what was thought to be true at the time risks chilling their speech.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], (201) 247-5057