We, the residents of Santa Rosa County, oppose the SRC Board of County Commissioners sending a letter of support for HB1, HB123, and HB33 to state representatives in Tallahassee . Each resolution states " WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners find that it is in the best interests of the citizens of Santa Rosa County..." as if this represents support of, and what all county residents view as their best interests, which is untrue.

HB 1 Combating Public Disorder was initially conceptualized by Gov. DeSantis as a backlash to Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests. These protests remained largely peaceful, especially in Florida. It is purely political in nature, with no meaningful application since violent disorder is already addressed by state law.

HB123 - Carrying firearms without licensing has already been dismissed and not addressed on a state level due to it's redundancy and irrelevance. The law is clear and concise as currently written without amendment.

HB33 - Social Media Websites - The right of business owners (specific to online social media services such as twitter/facebook etc) to allow or not allow hate speech as deemed by the business owner on or in their place of business is already provided by law. This is solid as it stands.

We do not support these bills and ask our Board of County Commissioners to concentrate their efforts on carrying out actual business of the county. This discussion is contrary to effectively carrying out county business. Agenda items of this type further divide and separate our community at a time when thoughtful, level headed, integrity based work and decision making are needed in our county.