As several states across the country have engaged in preliminary discussions around paying reparations to African Americans, a Florida state senator is attempting to ensure that his state will not be one of them.
According to Florida political website , Republican State Sen. Blaise Ingogliahas introduced a bill on the floor of the Florida Senate to prohibit the state “from making any reparations payments in perpetuity.”
The legislation proposes to amend Florida’s Constitution to ban “any form of such reparation payments.”
“The state, a county, a municipality, or any other political subdivision may not pay compensation in the form of reparations to an individual who is a descendant of an enslaved individual who lived in the United States before December 6, 1865,” reads the proposed amendment.
Ingoglia, who was once chair of the Florida Republican Party essentially tried to end the Democratic Party with “The Ultimate Cancel Act” by “requiring the Division of Elections to immediately cancel the filings of a political party if certain conditions exist.
Talks around reparations have gained significant momentum in many municipalities and states. In June 2023, the California Reparations Task Force sent its final report to Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state legislature recommending a mix of cash payments and other benefits, including housing, education, and health care, to qualified Black Californians to compensate for generations of racial discrimination. If approved, California would have created a roadmap for other states and the federal government to follow.
In addition to outlawing reparations, Florida lawmakers have also introduced a bill called the “Historical Monuments and Memorials Protection Act,” which would require “public display of a specified statue,” including those honoring Confederates and specifying one Confederate general who avoided arrest for treason by escaping to Mexico and Cuba.
If the reparations bill is passed, the amendment will require a 60% approval by the residents of Florida in the upcoming election