“Antisemitism and hate have no place in Florida,” Caruso stated partly throughout the convention.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State Rep. Mike Caruso alongside different state legislators introduced the submitting of HB269 Antisemitism Hate Crime Bill Thursday morning in Tallahassee.
The goal of the bill is to outline certain antisemitic acts as hate crimes and improve penalties for these hate crimes to the extent of a felony.
“Antisemitism and hate have no place in Florida,” Caruso stated partly throughout the convention.
According to Caruso, the next hate crimes would now be thought of a 3rd-degree felony:Â
- “Any person distributing flyers involving materials that have religious or ethnic animus and are mass distributed will be committing a 3rd-degree felony from now on.”
- “Any person stalking, harassing or interfering with someone based on their religious or ethnic heritage will now be commenting a 3rd-degree felony.
- “Any one that willfully and maliciously defaces, injures or damages a spiritual cemetery, memorial, non secular college or neighborhood or public or personal property with a spiritual or ethic animus will now be committing a 3rd-degree felony. “
- “Any one that initiatives a picture of non secular or ethnic animus, indoors or outside, with out permission, written permission from the proprietor of the property, will probably be commenting a 3rd-degree felony.”Â
- “Any one that willfully interrupts or disrupts, disturbs any non secular college or non secular service with a pretense of ethnic or non secular animus will probably be commenting a 3rd-degree felony.”
“If we don’t do something now, then soon we [will]  just be 1933 Nazi Germany here all over again,” stated Caruso partly. “And I will not stand here and do nothing.” I hope I converse for all of the legislators, my fellow legislators that sufficient is sufficient.”Â
An Anti-Defamation League Report earlier this summer confirms extremism and antisemitism are on the rise in Florida. In 2021, the group reported 190 antisemitic incidents and 186 incidents of white supremacist propaganda statewide.