FL Senate Passes 'Anti-Woke' Bill On Race; DeSantis Set To Sign

FLORIDA — The Florida Senate passed a bill Thursday that would prohibit teachings on race and gender in schools and the workplace deemed divisive or harmful.

The bill passed in the Republican-controlled Senate 24-15. It now heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk to sign into law.

Sometimes called the "Stop Woke Act," the bill bans any teachings in school or the workplace that promote the belief that "members of one race, color, sex, or national origin are morally superior to members of another race, color, sex or national origin."

It would also ban ideology that suggests that a person — simply because of his or her race, color, sex or national origin — is inherently racist, sexist, oppressive or privileged.

The bill aims to prevent people from feeling discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress simply because of their race, color, sex or national origin.

The bill's passage, however, has come under fire by state Democrats, including Sen. Bobby Powell, chair of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus. He believes the bill not only strips freedom from the classroom but takes direct aim at the history of people of color.

“You cannot discuss Robert E. Lee, or George Wallace, or Selma or Charlottesville without context. You cannot discuss Rosewood, or Harry T. Moore, or Ocoee in a vacuum. Slavery happened. Hangings happened. Burnings happened. Massacres happened. Jim Crow happened. George Floyd happened. And no amount of legislative banishments can erase those uncomfortable facts," Sen. Powell said.

Democratic state Sen. Annette Taddeo said the bill is bad for the state and appeases an extremist base.

"We need to stand up for the right side of history. The ‘Freest State in the Nation’ is now so free that we’re censoring discussions concerning race in schools and the workplace," Taddeo said in a statement. "

"As a small business owner, I have pointed out the many ways this bill will make our state less competitive for corporations looking to do work here. And as a mother with a daughter in public school, I am scared that our children won’t be learning factual history because we know that those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it," she added.

Meanwhile, DeSantis is expected to sign the bill into law.

In December, he announced the Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (W.O.K.E.) Act, a legislative proposal to give businesses, employees, children and families "tools to fight back against woke indoctrination."

“In Florida we are taking a stand against the state-sanctioned racism that is critical race theory,” said DeSantis at the time. “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.”