Rep. Randy Fine speaks at an anti-abortion rally on the steps of the Historic Florida Capitol Building. May 24, 2022. Credit: Danielle J. Brown
Quality Journalism for Critical Times
Jewish day schools can now receive state financing for security measures amid a rise in antisemitic activities since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel.
A law signed Monday by Gov. Ron DeSantis authorizes the Department of Education to include funds for “professional security hardening, as needed,” in the state budget for Jewish day schools, funding that has come ad-hoc in the past.
The law allows payment for security cameras, lighting, fencing, shatter-resistant glass, security personnel, transportation to minimize security exposure, and other measures.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents more than tripled in the three months following the October attack, including more than 250 in K-12 schools nationwide.
The bill passed the House 108-6 and the Senate 39-0 during the 2024 legislative session.
Earlier, a November 2023 special session yielded a $25 million line item for Jewish day school security along with $20 million for other locations demonstrating an “elevated threat level” through a federal grant.
The 2024-25 budget, starting July 1, includes $20 million for safety measures at Jewish day schools and preschools.
The law was one of two antisemitism-focused measures that DeSantis signed Monday; another brought Florida in line with 36 other states by redefining antisemitism in state law.
The law adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition: “A certain perception of Jewish individuals which may be expressed as hatred toward such individuals.”
The law goes further and prohibits rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism toward people or property or calls to kill or injure of Jewish individuals, plus alleging that Jewish people control the media, economy, government, or other societal institutions and denying the Holocaust.
Criticisms of Israel that are “similar to criticism of any other country” are allowed.
Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican representing southern Brevard County, sponsored both bills.
“People know better than to fight me on this kind of stuff, I’m doing the right thing and standing up against Muslim terror and evil in the world. And we’ve got a pretty good track record of getting these bills passed,” Fine said on a phone call with the Phoenix from Jerusalem.
It wouldn’t be a trip to Israel without one of my antisemitism bills becoming law! David and I had the privilege of touring the Knesset today and meeting with three of its members the same day as HB 187 and HB 1109 became law! HB 187 duplicates language we passed back in 2019… pic.twitter.com/bSFqVYnfZV
— Rep. Randy Fine (@VoteRandyFine) June 25, 2024
Private signing
DeSantis signed the bills behind closed doors and announced it in a press release.
“It should not be lost on anyone that [DeSantis] had to sign this bill out of public view bc the bill’s sponsor, [Fine], who is currently in Israel, was critical of DeSantis on Jewish security issues,” Florida Politics publisher Peter Schorsch posted to X Tuesday morning, which Fine reposted.
In October, Fine publicly switched his preferred GOP presidential candidate from DeSantis to former President Donald Trump, saying DeSantis was not doing enough to combat antisemitic acts.
Fine celebrated the third time he has had bills signed “to fight for Florida’s Jews and frankly, all good people of Florida, while I’ve been in Israel.”
“I’m glad that almost everyone in the chamber, maybe everyone in the chamber, every Democrat, agreed that anti-Zionism is antisemitism. We’re much different than the Democrats in Washington,” Fine said.
“And I’m glad that, should I be able to get recurring safety funding for Jewish day schools, even when I’m gone from the Legislature, that will continue.”
Fine is being term-limited out of his House seat but is running for the Florida Senate.
Both laws take effect July 1.
The post Rep. Randy Fine, in Israel, welcomes signing of laws addressing antisemitism appeared first on Florida Phoenix.