Florida GOP State Rep Calls Democrats’ Protest of Redistricting Bill ‘Far Worse’ Than Jan. 6, Complains They Prevented Debate on Disney Bill He Rushed

Florida State Rep. Randy Fine (R) told a local television program that a peaceful protest by Democratic legislators was “far worse than what happened in Washington on January 6.”

(Just wait, it gets dumber.)

In last week’s special session in the Florida legislature, in addition to rushing through the repeal of Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District, the GOP-controlled House and Senate also passed a new map for the state’s Congressional districts that had been drawn by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R-FL) office after he had rejected the map submitted by the legislature.

Florida Democrats did not like DeSantis’ map.

On a procedural level, they objected to the governor’s office assuming a role that the Florida Constitution directs the legislature to handle, calling it a violation of the balance of powers. The House and Senate had passed a set of maps but DeSantis vetoed the bill that contained those maps, and Republican lawmakers came back during the special session with a map the governor’s office had created and passed it without making any changes.

The Democrats also objected to DeSantis’ map because it dismantled a district currently held by a Black Democrat (coincidentally, my former district when I lived in Tallahassee). The legislature’s original map favored Republicans, but DeSantis’ map was even more Republican-heavy, and chopped up Rep. Al Lawson’s (D-FL) district into pieces, diluting the Democratic vote in that North Florida area.

Adding to the drama, Florida’s population increased enough in the 2020 U.S. Census that the state gained an additional Congressional seat. The state’s current representation in the U.S. House is 16 Republicans to 11 Democrats. According to Politico’s Gary Fineout, the legislature’s version of the new maps was expected to have “increased the GOP advantage by two seats.” In comparison, DeSantis’ map (the one that actually passed), “would likely give Republicans a 20-8 edge.”

So, the Democrats protested. Here’s a good synopsis, from another Fineout article:

Democratic legislators, nearly all of them Black, staged a sit-down and protest in the middle of the House floor. Republicans ceded the floor amid the chanting and then flooded back in an hour later. House Speaker Chris Sprowls attempted to talk over the protesters and then — failing to do so — called for a vote on three bills, including the new congressional map that sparked the protest because it dismantles a seat held by one Black Democrat and dilutes the Black vote in another district. The votes occurred in quick succession before — poof! — the session was over.

Basically, they sat on the floor and there was “chanting.” One could arguably say there was yelling. Stuff got delayed about an hour.

From the perspective of the Republicans, this was probably very annoying.

For Randy Fine, the sponsor of that ill-conceived and probably unconstitutional repeal of Reedy Creek, however, the Democrats weren’t just pests, but seditious felons.

In an interview with local ABC affiliate WPLG, Fine declared that “what happened on the floor of the Florida House was far worse than what happened in Washington on January 6.”

“Worse? How so?” WPLG’s Michael Putney interjected, clearly surprised by Fine’s take, as his co-anchor Glenna Milberg tilted her head with an incredulous expression on her face.

Fine complained that “constitutional officers” had “attempted to block the Florida legislature from getting its business done” and then bizarrely claimed that they “had to pass this Disney bill without a single member getting the opportunity to debate.”

This is — pardon my language — a giant pile of steaming hot bullsh*t.

I did a deep dive into some of the consequences of that Disney bill in an article Thursday, and I’d encourage you to read it but the TL;DR is that the bill eliminates a nearly 55-year-old special taxing district that operates as a quasi-government entity to manage Disney’s 25,000 acre parcel in Central Florida. Repealing the Reedy Creek Improvement District will create complex and expensive problems for the two Central Florida counties forced into taking over or renegotiating the arrangement. Plus, it’s most likely unconstitutional since the Republicans have been darn clear this is being done in retaliation for Disney’s objections to the Parental Rights in Education Bill (as the critics have dubbed it, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill).

Fine admitted he had not even attempted the most basic level of due diligence, not one phone call to anyone at Disney, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, or Orange or Osceola County government.

They most certainly did not “have to pass” that Disney bill — there was absolutely no pressing need except our governor’s desire for vengeful fodder for his 2024 presidential campaign, ha, I mean gubernatorial re-election campaign. If Fine actually cared about debate he could have set the bill aside for next year’s regular session and then he would have had the time to pick up a phone and learn something about the multimillion dollar infrastructure system he’s willing to Thanos snap out of existence.

Oh, wait. Fine wasn’t done, claiming that “21 million Floridians were disenfranchised because of sedition on the part of these Democrats.” He declared the Democrats had “absolutely broke the law” and it was a second-degree felony. (Fine is not an attorney.)

WPLG’s Milberg wrapped the segment by commenting that “I will just leave it at, there was no breaking and entering” and told viewers that the station would look up the laws Fine was citing and provide an updated report.

Let’s be clear about Fine’s accusation that the Democrats’ protests were “far worse” than January 6th.

Here are Florida State Reps. Travaris McCurdy (D), Angie Nixon (D), and Felicia Robinson (D), sitting on the floor of the Florida House. McCurdy has his arm around Nixon’s shoulder; he is not attacking a police officer with his own tazer. Nixon is wearing a blazer and a t-shirt with a slogan objecting to the reduction of Black districts; her t-shirt does not say Camp Auschwitz. Robinson is looking at her cell phone; she is not marching around with a spear and leaving threatening notes for the Vice President of the United States.

Here’s another photo of Nixon. She is carrying a sign that says, “Legislators: Serve the People, Not Your Party!” not carrying a Confederate flag.

Here’s a tweet from the South Florida Sun Sentinel, showing another photo of the same scene. State Rep. Anna Eskamani (D) can be seen on the far left, looking at her cell phone. She would later leave the Florida Capitol without stealing any podiums.

BREAKING: Black lawmakers staged an unprecedented sit-in on the floor of the Florida House, disrupting debate on a congressional redistricting plan by Gov. Ron DeSantis that would cut Black representation in half. | Story: https://t.co/DMmBslVP0Q pic.twitter.com/BppbrSSWYL

— South Florida Sun Sentinel (@SunSentinel) April 21, 2022

Here’s some video. Nixon and McCurdy are yelling, but they never get around to bludgeoning anyone with a flagpole or fire extinguisher.

Black legislators in FL are fighting a racist redistricting process. New maps drawn by Gov. DeSantis would slash the number of majority-Black districts in the state, diminishing the voices of people of color.

We must protect the freedom to vote. pic.twitter.com/fAp2pSQNfA

— Building Back Together (@BuildingBack_US) April 21, 2022

UPDATE 6:00 pm ET: Mediaite has obtained two never-before-published photos direct from the scene of what Fine called a “felonious sedition,” both taken by State Rep. Carlos Smith (D).

In this photo, State Rep. Yvonne Hinson (D) can be seen standing to the left of McCurdy and Nixon. She is not trying to crush a police officer in a door.

Here’s a photo of the members of the Florida House voting after the protest ended. They did not have to clean up shattered glass, broken furniture, or garbage out of the chamber before they cast their votes.

Watch the video above, via WPLG.

(Hat tip: @RonFilipowski via Twitter.)

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.