If “Big Brother” isn’t already watching, a new bill may just ensure that he starts to.
While many of the headlines coming from the state legislature early this year are centered around property tax and growth issues, one potentially troubling bill is quietly making it’s way through the committee process.
House Bill (HB) 945 would create a new counterintelligence and counterterrorism unit within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). Sounds good so far, right? Not so fast. The bill, critics say, is eerily similar to what the FBI did during the 1960s ― using a counter-intelligence operation ― to spy on and neutralize political dissenters.
The bill is sponsored by Rep. Danny Alvarez, R-Riverview with its senate companion bill SB 1712 is sponsored by Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers.
Rep. Alex Andrade has questioned the vagueness of proposed House Bill 945.
The proposed legislation states the primary goal “is to conduct statewide counterintelligence and counterterrorism activities to detect, identify, neutralize, and exploit adversary intelligence entities, international and domestic terrorists, insider threats, corporate threats, and other foreign adversaries to protect this state and the United States of America.”
Abuse of power?
The worrisome bit is that the proposed bill definition of an “adversary intelligence entity” includes the following: a “person whose demonstrated actions, views, or opinions are a threat or are inimical to the interests of this state and the United States of America.”
Does that mean spying on those unhappy with the government or those who speak out against our country’s policies? Sounds a bit Orwellian to me.
Critics, such as Republican Rep. Alex Andrade of Pensacola, have said the bill is too vague, leaving open the possibility of abuse of power.
During a committee hearing, House Democrat Michele Rayner of St. Petersburg brought up some of the issues caused by government surveillance in the wake of 9/11.
“The concern is that there are no guardrails that I see in this bill to ensure what judicial oversight looks like,” she said.
Still, it appears as if the bill has enough support to make it through before the end of the legislative session on March 13. And that brings me to the Question of the Week:
Is the creation of a new Florida counterintelligence and counterterrorism unit warranted?
You can scan the QR code that is on the print edition page or go to https://www.floridatoday.com/opinions-columns/. Please leave a comment telling us why you voted the way you did. In order for your comment or email to be published on our website and in next week’s print edition, you must include your first and last name and please include your town/city of residence in the body of your comment. You can also shoot me an email with “Big Brother” in the subject line. I look forward to reading your responses.
Contact Torres at jtorres@floridatoday.com. You can follow him on X @johnalbertorres Florida video editor Rob Landers contributed to this report.Support local journalism and become a subscriber. Visit floridatoday.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida surveillance bill sparks civil liberties fears