Commissioner Nikki Fried Statement on Governor DeSantis’ Signing of House Bill 1

Tallahassee, Fla. — Today, the Governor signed House Bill 1, his priority legislation which has faced fierce, heated criticism for harming freedom of speech in Florida. The bill was fast-tracked, bypassing the accountability of numerous Senate committees, and will take effect immediately. Of the signing, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, an independently-elected member of the Florida Cabinet, offered the following statement:

“This isn’t a game. This Governor and his Republican allies love to talk about the Constitution, while shredding it with extreme legislation like HB 1. Silencing the speech of those seeking equality is straight from the Communist regime playbook. The criminal aspects of this bill are already illegal. HB 1 protects no one, makes no one safer, and does nothing to make people’s lives better. It’s simply to appease the Governor’s delusion of widespread lawlessness, and it’s frightening to imagine the lengths to which he’ll go to strip away rights and freedoms for political gain. The message from this Governor and his enablers is loud and clear: if you disagree with him, you will be silenced.”