RED FLAGS

Florida GOP Lawmaker: I Filed That Confederate Flag Bill ‘in Error’

State Sen. Jay Collins’ amendment would have exempted Confederate flags from a broad ban on flags outside state government buildings.

A Florida state senator said Wednesday that legislation which would have allowed the Confederate flag to be flown outside government buildings was filed accidentally—and added that the bill would be pulled until the issue could be resolved.

Sen. Jay Collins (R) on Tuesday proposed an amendment that would have exempted Confederate flags from a broad flag-flying ban outside government buildings in state, according to Forbes. It would have added the Confederate flag to an authorized list that includes the U.S. flag, the state flag, and flags of municipalities.

The amendment was withdrawn less than 24 hours after it was introduced, following a Senate staff analysis which found that it may have been unconstitutional. Any law which restricts what flag people could fly ran the risk of limiting freedom of speech, they concluded.

In a statement posted to Twitter, spokesman Ted Veerman said the filing was made “in error.”

He began by citing Collins’ veteran status, adding, “Any insinuation that Jay is a confederate sympathizer is disgusting.”

Veerman said that the amendment had been yanked “as we work to ensure the wording of our bill is in line with the state constitution and statute.”