ACLU of Florida Warns SB 1632/SB 1634 Could Dangerously Expand Government Power and Chill Free Speech

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Today, SB 1632/SB 1634, sponsored by Sen. Grall, advanced in the Florida Legislature. Florida already has laws to prosecute violence and genuine threats. These bills would instead expand state power in such a manner that risks being used to intimidate and suppress protected speech, protest, and political dissent.

Kara Gross, Interim Political Director of the ACLU of Florida, shared the following statement:

“Time and again, vague ‘public safety’ legislation has been used to justify discretionary enforcement and investigations that undermine civil liberties – especially against communities of color, immigrants, and movements demanding accountability from the government.

 

Florida already has more than enough tools to prosecute violence. What these bills do is allow for a select few in the government to claim unilateral authority to label people and organizations they disagree with as 'domestic terrorists' without basic due process, impose more aggressive punishments, and expand surveillance under the banner of ‘public safety.’ That should alarm every Floridian, no matter your political views.

 

These bills create a system where the state claims more authority and control over who is allowed to dissent and hold leaders accountable. Make no mistake: vaguely worded bills that empower the Executive Branch at the expense of civil liberties and checks and balances do not make us safer. By heightening government secrecy and creating an environment that suppresses speech and protest, they instead only make the government more dangerous and less transparent."