The Florida House passed a bill declaring every Oct. 14 Charlie Kirk Day.
If the bill, HB 125, passes in the Senate and Gov. Ron DeSantis signs off on it, the controversial slain activist’s birthday will be an annual day of a remembrance. Kirk is described in the bill as a “champion of free speech, civil dialogue, and faith” and ‘consistently promoted the values of individual liberty, open debate, civic engagement, and defense of constitutional principles.”
Kirk was killed in Sept. 2025 while speaking at a college in Utah. A 22-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with aggravated murder among other charges.
The bill’s sponsor, Yvette Benarroch, R-Marco Island, said the day of remembrance isn’t a mandate and it doesn’t cost anything.
“It just gives Floridians the opportunity, once a year, to pause and remember a moment when the First Amendment was answered with violence, and to recommit ourselves to resolving disagreements the right way, through debate,” she said.
Rep. Michele Rayner, D-St. Petersburg, voiced why she was not in favor of the bill.
“As a Black woman serving in this chamber, I cannot overlook the way (Kirk’s) rhetoric has targeted and dismissed Black women and other marginalized voices, including members yelling at other Black women on this floor,” Rayner said.
If it passes, it would go into effect July 1.
Florida House passes bill renaming street after Charlie Kirk
The Florida House also passed another bill, HB 33, that would rename a portion on a Miami-Dade County road to “Charlie Kirk Memorial Avenue.
That bill also still has to be approved in the Florida Senate and signed off by DeSantis. It took would take effect July 1, if passed.
Late October, Collier County Commissioners designated a stretch of road “Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway.” County officials said this was not a renaming of the road, and rather a memorial designation.
County commissioners also unanimously approved designating Oct. 14 as a day of remembrance for Kirk.
Who was Charlie Kirk?
Kirk cofounded Turning Point USA, a conservative political advocacy organization for students. The non-profit organization was founded with the mission to educate students, encourage political discourse, and “restore traditional American values like patriotism, respect for life, liberty, family, and fiscal responsibility,” according to the group.
The married father of two was 31 when he died. His widow, Erika Kirk, has taken over as CEO of Turning Point.
Michelle Spitzer is a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network’s Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida’s breaking news. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Charlie Kirk Day, street honoring activist passes in Florida House