The new bill is signed just days before the Derek Chauvin verdict is expected to be announced, potentially provoking nationwide riots
In a move meant to uphold law and order and avoid a repeat of the summer of leftist riots seen last year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill which increases criminal penalties for crimes committed during riots and helps protect law enforcement agencies from local governments.
On Monday morning, during the signing ceremony, Gov. DeSantis declared that “It is the strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement piece of legislation in the country, and there’s just nothing even close.” The bill became law effective immediately.
The law, summarized here, hopes to prevent violent riots by criminalizing “violent or disorderly riots, obstructing roadways, destroying or toppling monuments, and harassment in public accommodations.” It also prohibits state funding to local governments who defund the police, as well as allowing victims of a violent riot to sue local governments for crimes relating to such riots.
