City hall flagpoles around Florida could lose some color if a bill by Rep. David Borrero passes in the upcoming Session.
Borrero, a Sweetwater Republican, refiled a proposal (HB 901) that would prohibit local governments and agencies from flying the LGBTQ pride flag or any other banner representing a social or political position.
"The government agency must remain neutral when representing political viewpoints in displaying or erecting a flag," the measure says.
As written, HB 901 would ban local governments, government agencies and public schools, colleges and universities from displaying any flag that represents a partisan, racial, sexual, gender or political viewpoint.
It also requires that in cases where the United States flag is flown near or alongside other flags, the U.S. flag must be in a "prominent position that is superior to any other" on display.
Borrero's bill is similar to legislation he and Tampa Republican Sen. Jay Collins filed in February (SB 668).
Borrero's bill would have only allowed the U.S., Florida, Firefighter Memorial and POW-MIA flags to be flown at government facilities. Collins' measure, initially, would have only permitted flags the Governor approves.
Collins later filed an amendment with a list of allowable flags, including the Confederate flag, but quickly withdrew it and his original bill from consideration.
Both versions of the legislation died after gaining little traction in their respective chambers.
Opposition to the rainbow pride flag and other symbols being flown for public view have persisted for years. Under Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed bills restricting LGBTQ-inclusive classroom instruction, drag performances and policies prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion, complaints about the flags have grown louder and in few cases turned physical.
Last year, a parent sued the Palm Beach County school district over a pair of pride flags hung in his seventh-grade child's classroom. He echoed DeSantis' repeated assertion that the flag represents a concerted effort to "indoctrinate" kids.
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