Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) expressed his disagreement with Jacksonville’s mayor’s decision to remove a Confederate statue in the state. When he condemned the decision, DeSantis was reportedly at a campaign event in Ankeny, Iowa, for his 2024 presidential bid.
He criticized the Democratic Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, who removed the “Tribute to the Women of the Southern Confederacy” statue in Springfield Park. According to reports, Deegan used the Jessie Ball duPont Fund and donations from anonymous sponsors.
“I’m opposed to taking down statues. The idea that we’re going to erase history is wrong,” DeSantis said. “You’ve seen where they tried to take down Thomas Jefferson. They tried to take George Washington off schools.” DeSantis added, “It just gets so out of hand.”
“So I don’t support taking down statues, particularly if you don’t have legal authority to do it,” he concluded. In his speech, the governor criticized Deegan’s decision, which came solely from her office without any vote in the city council. However, on her part, Deegan argued that since the city funds were available, she didn’t need city council approval.
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“This is not in any way an attempt to erase history but to show that we’ve learned from it,” Deegan said. “That when we know better, we do better by and for each other. My prayer today is for our beautiful city to continue embracing unity and bending the arc of history towards justice.”
Deegan added, “Let’s keep lifting as we climb.” Besides DeSantis, removing the century-old monument honoring women sparked outrage from many. In addition, the action sparked accusations that the city’s mayor was overstepping her authority.
Nick Howland, a Republican on Jacksonville’s City Council, called Deegan’s actions a “blatant overreach” and power abuse. “Deegan is our Mayor, not our Monarch,” he wrote on X. “Waiting until nightfall before taking a backhoe to the Women of the South monument is blatant overreach.”
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“This was the Council’s decision to make,” Howland added. “Regardless of your opinion of the monument, this is an abuse of power & disregard for transparency.” Aside from Howland, many people also criticized Deegan for removing the “Women of the Southland” statue from Springfield Park.
In a statement, Deegan spoke about removing the monument honoring women of the Confederacy. She admitted to removing the monument with funding made through a grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund. In addition, Deegan admitted to using money from anonymous donations to 904WARD, a local racial justice group.
However, despite the outrage, Deegan insists removing the monument was right. “Symbols matter. They tell the world what we stand for and aspire to be,” Deegan said. “By removing the confederate monument from Springfield Park, we signal a belief in our shared humanity.”
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“That we are all created equal. The same flesh and bones, the same blood runs through our veins,” Deegan continued. The same heart and soul.” In addition to the monument, the mayor removed the plaques and engravings. According to reports, Deegan plans to cover the removal with temporary plaques.
The Florida House and Senate filed two competing bills that attempt to protect Confederate statues. The bills aim to legislate punishments against officials who remove Confederate statues. SB 1122, which lawmakers filed the day after Deegan’s announcement, calls for a fine of $1,000.
Conversely, HB 395, filed in 2023, suggests a $5,000 fine. However, neither bill would be able to punish a city official retroactively, as in Deegan’s case.
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