TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Florida lawmaker filed a bill on Tuesday that would effectively eliminate the Democratic party.
Republican State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, introduced SB 1248, otherwise known as "The Ultimate Cancel Act."
Although the bill doesn't mention the Democratic Party by name, it would require the Florida Division of Elections "to immediately cancel the filings of a political party" that has "previously advocated for, or been in support of, slavery or involuntary servitude."
If signed into law, the bill would require Florida officials to notify all affected voters that their party has been canceled and that their voter registration information will now reflect “No Party Affiliation,” along with instructions to register for an active political party.
The legislation would also allow a canceled political party to re-register with the state so long as the party leaders select a name that is "substantially different from the name of any other party previously registered with the department."
The bill is an apparent jab at the Democratic Party, which in the early and mid-1800s, supported slavery, particularly in the South. During the 1900s, the party underwent a major ideological realignment and reinvented itself as a party in support of civil rights and progressive reform, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
Ingoglia himself confirmed in a statement to WESH-TV that the legislation was aimed at the Democratic Party.
"For years now, leftist activists have been trying to 'cancel' people and companies for things they have said or done in the past. This includes the removal of statues and memorials, and the renaming of buildings. Using this standard, it would be hypocritical not to cancel the Democrat Party itself for the same reason," he told the news station.
He, too, retweeted a note that he "trolled" an entire state political party.
In response, Florida Democrats issued a statement calling the bill "unconstitutional and unserious."
“Presenting a bill that would disenfranchise 5 million voters is both unconstitutional and unserious. Under Ron DeSantis, Senator Ingoglia is using his office to push bills that are nothing more than publicity stunts instead of focusing on the issues that matter most to Floridians, such as reforming property insurance, addressing housing affordability and combating climate change," the statement reads.
"The sooner DeSantis and his puppets in the legislature learn that Florida is a Democratic Republic and not a Banana Republic, the better it will be for all Floridians."
This comes just weeks after Ingoglia filed another controversial bill that would require employers that provide coverage of gender dysphoria treatment to also cover the full cost associated with the reversal should that person decide so later in life.
