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certified meteorologists. The
governor signed Florida’s newest
law into effect in Jerusalem of
Israel Thursday morning while
were sleeping. It is aimed at
combating a rising tide of anti
Semitism. The governor took full
of those optics signing. The
enhanced crime categories,
penalties at the museum of,
tolerance in Jerusalem. Israel
the House sponsor us that they
passed it. They ran to the
airport. They flew 12 hours to
get that accomplish. But
questions of timing, costs of
that trip aside for now, the new
public nuisance bill, that’s
what it’s called, covers all
discrimination. Racism hate. But
it is meant address a recent
rise in anti-Semitic acts around
Florida. It is in effect with
the governor’s signature and one
of the first people to welcome
it was, Miami Dade State
Attorney Katherine Fernandez,
who is right there with us today
to examine what this new law
does, doesn’t do. Madam State
Attorney, it is so good to have
you on board today. Good
morning. And thank you so much
for including me on show. And
first, I want to I just want to
say thank you to that super
coverage of the 75th anniversary
of Israel. That trip is just so
powerful. I’ve been to Israel
over a dozen times myself. Every
time I’m there and I live there,
I just live. Just leave. With so
much energy from the spirit of
the people. Thank for your
thoughts. I appreciate that on
behalf of our whole crew there.
Thanks much. Appreciate that.
Absolutely So and your crew so
we were there as the governor
signed this and you know this
was people should know
bipartisan and nobody voted
against this bill. This was one
of those rare, unanimous in
Tallahassee. Everybody Is on
board to combat hate. The good
news. If you would like just
broad brush this. How this even
different from laws that are on
the books. So at that point what
I’d like to do is if I could
address what is a hate because
we make a lot of reference to
hate crimes in Florida as in
many other states. There are
person crimes that are hate
crimes. What it becomes this is
a you mentioned that earlier at
the introduction to show what
that is you need an underlying
crime. That’s then coupled with
a hate message, i.e. the or
something further and, I’ll give
you an example. If you somebody
and doing so you say a slur
against their or slur against
the religion or against or
orientation. If you combine that
with the hitting is a crime that
becomes penalties. And the
reason for that is that those
words, that message combined
with that crime is so hurtful to
a whole group of people. So the
concept is you’re victim is much
greater than just the person
that you hit. You attack that
entire community, a group that
you were discriminating against.
And with. So that being said, we
have had a rise, especially
since COVID during the pandemic,
there have been some of these
groups like this William Defense
League, which just really grew
in popularity through those
years, as you said, the
statistics are really very
scary. The FBI says hate crimes
have increased the last two
years by nearly 50. And this
what’s interesting, because
we’re celebrating this special
time for Israel about 60% of the
nationally report had religious
based hate in for 2020 was
targeting Jewish community. So I
wanted to be I don’t mean to you
but we have such a short time
together here I can’t really
drill down into this bill. So
all those things that you’re
talking about what what is it
looks like in this bill and
anybody could read it it’s about
seven pages. It looks it targets
property crimes because I spoke
to the sponsor, Representative
Randy Fine from Brevard County,
Republican from Brevard, who
brought Bill to the governor in
Israel. And he was telling me
free speech is free speech, hate
Speech, by and large, is free
speech. How do you get around
free speech? And he said these
were about property crimes, an
act on property. Like throwing
those we’ve reported on with
with flyers and not inside or
projecting on buildings or.
We’re looking at the flyer right
now in blacked out a lot of it
that we thought might be very
offensive and not really arable.
So how does this now to give you
another tool is the difference
route it gives the teeth that we
needed. And so to use your two
examples that are specifically
addressed in the new law. What?
So the one that you were talking
about, the bags, you know, one
morning in January 2022, a whole
bunch folks in Jewish
communities at Miami Beach in
Miami were able to walk up to
those that these that you were
referring to that had a horrible
swastikas inside and terrible
messages inside, weighted down
with horns and kettle kettles
and corn. So that would way have
a certain weight. Right. But the
law didn’t say that that was a
crime. Even though the message
was hurtful, terrible,
disgusting, especially to the
people it was intended to hurt.
But there was an underlying
crime. So new statute, right?
The bill to 69, it specifically
addresses that and says no, if
you litter on someone’s property
and it’s intended to harass or
threaten to intimidate that is
the crime the littering now a
crime and it’s enhanced as a
hate crime. Okay. Now, let me
let me just let me stop you
there, because on those fliers
and I don’t think we have that
specific video, but on those
fliers, this put a disclaimer at
the bottom saying this is not
meant to and I don’t want to
this is not verbatim. It’s just
for memory. This is not meant to
harass or intimidate it. It’s
almost like they know how to get
around the law. So when you, a
prosecutor receive this this
probable cause and you see that
they’ve put this on the bottom,
does that hang you up at all in
your ability to prosecute. I
believe going forward we’re
going to have a much better
opportunity to do that because
in what you just talked about,
the Miami Beach Police really
tried. The FBI really tried out
this. Really try. We tried to
beat, but we couldn’t do. And
they knew that we couldn’t. And
that’s why this law so
important. In fact when the and
they did this Broward County and
in Palm County when they were
approached this is really
important when they were
approached by law enforcement
the first thing they said when
they opened the door to law
enforcement standing in uniform
is okay tell me what crime did I
commit? They just go that line
where they we they know law
enforcement and it’s not just
law. They did this in other
states. So this law will help us
a lot. The other thing that you
mention, because in that case,
the only thing could do, the
Miami Beach could do is give
them a civil citation and a fine
that they don’t care that. Now
we have a crime. The other thing
you mention about the that
actually happened in
Jacksonville and so they what
they did was a huge. Same group
by the way I believe it’s true
they put that big swastika up a
huge sign for everybody to see
for those of you of hurt and to
do pain to right now this new
law says you can’t that without
permission from the person who
owns that building or is the
tenant of that building. So what
it these the kind of tools what
we’re looking at video right
where we were a moment ago of
you’re talking about a building
with a projection that’s owned
by somebody some entity, people
on a highway which is public
property hanging banners,
offensive off of public property
where they are perfectly to be
what is that does that pose any
is that part of this? Well, you
know it’s a brand new law, right
. And there’s no case law in.
And so there’s not a lot of
definition of this all means.
But I would, you know, at this
superficial first step, I would
say that’s covered because you
don’t have the permission. So
public comes it. So it’s owned
by a park or it’s owned by the
Department of. Did you get
permission to put those up
there? So I’m really hopeful as
we learn the law better that,
you know, going forward, these
of programs that you’re doing,
Glenn, will send a real strong
message out to groups like going
to essentially because now they
need to know that the way they
see skirt the law we have new
law there’s a new way in town.
Well that’s I think I suspect
your point that a lot about this
law also messaging which is
never a bad thing I suppose so.
Madam State Attorney, so good to
have you aboard. And I hope
you’ll be back on so many things
that we can talk to in the in
the new laws, on the books.
Absolutely. Thanks For the