DeSantis said, “you learn from it” when asked about his stance on removing monuments at his news conference Thursday, as SB 1122 moves through the legislature.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — During Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ press conference in Jacksonville Thursday morning, many topics were discussed – from Florida sending 1,000 soldiers to Texas to assist in efforts of stopping the “invasion at the southern border,” to the governor making his first public comments after Disney’s lawsuit against him was dropped.
Another topic of discussion was during the question and answer part of the press conference, as DeSantis was asked his stance on monument removals in the state.
“I’ve been very clear, ever since I’ve been governor, I do not support taking down monuments in this state,” DeSantis said. “We’ve got to stop with this.”
On Dec. 27, 2023, Mayor Donna Deegan used $187,000 in private funding to remove the Women of the Southland monument at Springfield Park, in a move that caused an uproar from some city councilmembers expressing frustration over the removal process.
A week later on Jan. 3, Jacksonville City Council President Ron Salem released legislation that would prevent Deegan from using private donations or any funding for any city project without council approval. The legislation, which was obtained by First Coast News, prevents the mayor of Jacksonville from using any monetary funding to “alter, demolish, relocate, transform or in any way modify any city-owned or managed property, object, thing or anything else of substance without prior Council approval and appropriation.”
In a sit down with First Coast News on Jan. 24, Deegan said her office followed the advice of General Counsel Michael Fackler who determined she had the authority to remove the monument without consulting city councilmembers since she used private money. The funding to remove the monument, came from a grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund and anonymous donors made to 904WARD.
After a Jacksonville City Council workshop concluded on Jan. 25, in which Fackler answered legal questions on Deegan’s process with removing the Confederate monument, Salem said he was satisfied with the answers he received. However, Salem also said it will take work for Fackler to regain city council’s trust and is considering seeking outside legal counsel for the city council. As for what is next, Salem said he will need to consult with his colleagues about how to move forward from this.
‘What’re you gonna rename Jacksonville, too?’
Although DeSantis said during the Jacksonville press conference that he had not yet “seen,” or reviewed SB 1122 moving through Florida’s legislature, his stance on removing monuments statewide is that it is “totally appropriate.”
Here’s what SB 1122 would do if signed into law by DeSantis:
- Provide limitations and requirements regarding the relocation of historical monuments and memorials by local governments
- Authorize placement of contextual markers or plaques near monuments or memorials under certain conditions
- Prohibit certain acts concerning historical monuments and memorials
- Provide civil penalties for officials who engage in certain actions
- Provide for suspension or removal of such officials in certain circumstances, etc.
“I heard people in Jacksonville want to take down [the] Andrew Jackson [Statue],” DeSantis said.
The Andrew Jackson Statue is located at 76 South Laura St. in Downtown Jacksonville. Jacksonville, Fla. was named after Andrew Jackson in 1822, as the seventh president was the military governor of the Florida territory at the time.
“What’re you gonna rename Jacksonville, too?” DeSantis asked. “I mean come on, we’ve gotta stop doing this. It’s not something that’s going to end up working out well for us.”
SB 1122 is currently in the ‘Community Affairs’ committee after receiving four yeas and two nays in the ‘Governmental Oversight and Accountability’ committee on Jan. 22.
In order to become a law, the Florida Senate would then have to vote on the bill after passing through all committees. And if it passes in the Senate, the bill will have to be reviewed and approved by the Florida House of Representatives before reaching the governor’s desk.
