A judge called Florida ‘a First Amendment upside down’
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A Florida federal judge has ruled that the Stop WOKE Act is unconstitutional and has issued a preliminary injunction preventing the legislation from staying in effect. After Nonprofit Protect Democracy filed a suit challenging the law in June, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida Chief Judge Mark Walker noted that the act violates the First Amendment and is impermissibly vague — and referenced the Netflix hit “Stranger Things” in his ruling. “Recently, Florida has seemed like a First Amendment upside down,” Walker wrote, per The Hill. “If Florida truly believes we live in a post-racial society, then let it make its case. But it cannot win the argument by muzzling its opponents.”
DeSantis’s communications director, Taryn Feske, said that the governor will be appealing the ruling (via The Hill), alleging that Walker’s decision “has effectively ruled that companies have a First Amendment right to instruct their employees in white supremacy.” In the meantime, DeSantis might run for president in the 2024 race. While that would possibly pit him against Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, DeSantis defended the former president after the FBI’s recent raid on Mar-a-Lago. “The raid on [Mar-a-Lago] is another escalation in the weaponization of federal agencies against the regime’s political opponents, while people like Hunter Biden get treated with kid gloves,” DeSantis tweeted.
Ron DeSantis And Florida’s ‘Stop WOKE Act’ Has One Judge Invoking Stranger Things
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By Linda DiProperzio/Aug. 21, 2022 12:25 pm EST
“We won’t allow Florida tax dollars to be spent teaching kids to hate our country or to hate each other. We also have a responsibility to ensure that parents have the means to vindicate their rights when it comes to enforcing state standards. Finally, we must protect Florida workers against the hostile work environment that is created when large corporations force their employees to endure CRT-inspired ’training’ and indoctrination,” said DeSantis (per The Hill).
While the legislation passed the Florida House in February 2022 by a vote of 74-41 and the Florida Senate in March by a vote of 24-15 (via Time), it has now been ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge.
A judge called Florida ‘a First Amendment upside down’
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
A Florida federal judge has ruled that the Stop WOKE Act is unconstitutional and has issued a preliminary injunction preventing the legislation from staying in effect. After Nonprofit Protect Democracy filed a suit challenging the law in June, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida Chief Judge Mark Walker noted that the act violates the First Amendment and is impermissibly vague — and referenced the Netflix hit “Stranger Things” in his ruling. “Recently, Florida has seemed like a First Amendment upside down,” Walker wrote, per The Hill. “If Florida truly believes we live in a post-racial society, then let it make its case. But it cannot win the argument by muzzling its opponents.”
DeSantis’s communications director, Taryn Feske, said that the governor will be appealing the ruling (via The Hill), alleging that Walker’s decision “has effectively ruled that companies have a First Amendment right to instruct their employees in white supremacy.” In the meantime, DeSantis might run for president in the 2024 race. While that would possibly pit him against Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, DeSantis defended the former president after the FBI’s recent raid on Mar-a-Lago. “The raid on [Mar-a-Lago] is another escalation in the weaponization of federal agencies against the regime’s political opponents, while people like Hunter Biden get treated with kid gloves,” DeSantis tweeted.
DeSantis’s communications director, Taryn Feske, said that the governor will be appealing the ruling (via The Hill), alleging that Walker’s decision “has effectively ruled that companies have a First Amendment right to instruct their employees in white supremacy.”
In the meantime, DeSantis might run for president in the 2024 race. While that would possibly pit him against Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, DeSantis defended the former president after the FBI’s recent raid on Mar-a-Lago. “The raid on [Mar-a-Lago] is another escalation in the weaponization of federal agencies against the regime’s political opponents, while people like Hunter Biden get treated with kid gloves,” DeSantis tweeted.