Jacob Ogles
There will be no state mandate for the national anthem at sporting events.
Rep. Tommy Gregory filed a bill requiring the song to play at sporting events for teams taking state dollars. But the legislation (HB 499) appears to have failed this year.
The House Local Administration and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee had advanced the legislation earlier this year on a 12-4 vote. But it never made the agenda for the House Judiciary Committee, and it also needed an OK from the House State Affairs Committee before having any hope of reaching the floor.
A Senate companion bill (SB 1298) also won over one panel, the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee, but stalled from there.
The legislation, had it become law, would require any contract a team or sporting entity negotiates with a Florida government providing taxpayer dollars to include the stipulation that the national anthem would play at the start of each event.
Of course, every team to date plays the anthem already.
“I don’t know of any instances in Florida,” Gruters acknowledged at a committee stop, when asked whether any Florida teams refused to play the anthem. “It’s just a proactive approach to make sure people play it.”
Gregory previously said he filed the bill because of a strong belief in coming together as a nation.
“It’s important to me that we find ways as a state and a country to unify,” Gregory said. “Having national symbols of unity, whether that’s the flag or national anthem, recognizing the strengths in our country, I think, would go a long way.”
Almost every major sports entertainment venue in Florida accepts some type of government subsidy, often in the form of stadium deals.
Taxpayer dollars support eight stadiums where professional sports franchises headquarter and play home games. That includes MLB (Tampa Bay Rays), NBA (Miami Heat, Orlando Magic), NFL (Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers), and NHL (Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning) teams participating in the Professional Sports Franchise Program.
