Blaise Ingoglia bill would ‘cancel’ Democratic Party
Blaise Ingoglia tried to set term limits for thousands serving on County Commissions across the state. Image via Colin Hackley/Florida Politics.

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'Some people want to have "uncomfortable conversations" about certain subjects.'

Sen. Blaise Ingoglia is sponsoring the “Ultimate Cancel Act,” which would eliminate all political parties that once used slavery as part of its platform.

While “Democratic Party” isn’t mentioned in the bill, Ingoglia said that’s his target.

“For years now, leftist activists have been trying to ‘cancel’ people and companies for things they have said or done in the past. This includes the removal of statues and memorials, and the renaming of buildings,” he said. “Using this standard, it would be hypocritical not to cancel the Democratic Party itself for the same reason.”

The measure (SB 1248) would switch Democratic voters to no-party voters or give them the option of choosing another party.

The Democratic Party adopted pro-slavery positions in their platforms during the conventions of 1840, 1844, 1856, 1860 and 1864, Ingoglia noted.

Indeed, the Democratic Party’s beginnings were rooted in states’ rights, including slavery. The party split during the Civil War, with Southern Democrats favoring slavery in all territories and Northern Democrats arguing it should go to a popular vote. That split triggered a long process in which party ideologies shifted from Republicans being the more liberal party to the conservative GOP as we now know it, which culminated in the 1960s through the 80s based, at least in part, on the civil rights movement, as well as ideas on government control and intervention.

A century after the Civil War, it was a Democratic president from the South, Lyndon Johnson, who signed the Civil Rights Act.

The Florida Democratic Party condemned the bill in a statement.

“Presenting a bill that would disenfranchise 5 million voters is both unconstitutional and unserious. Under Ron DeSantis, Senator Ingoglia is using his office to push bills that are nothing more than publicity stunts instead of focusing on the issues that matter most to Floridians, such as reforming property insurance, addressing housing affordability and combating climate change,” the group wrote.

“The sooner DeSantis and his puppets in the legislature learn that Florida is a Democratic Republic and not a Banana Republic, the better it will be for all Floridians.”

According to Ingoglia’s bill, the Division of Elections would decertify any political party that has “previously advocated for, or been in support of, slavery or involuntary servitude.”

Registered voters of that party would receive notices from the state that their party has been “canceled” and that they’re now no-party voters.

As for the canceled Democratic Party, it could re-register with the state so long as the name is “substantially different from the name of any other party previously registered.”

Ingoglia said Democrats should be called upon to face their past.

“Some people want to have ‘uncomfortable conversations’ about certain subjects,” he said. “Let’s have those conversations.”

Mike Wright

Mike Wright is a former reporter with the Citrus County Chronicle, where he had covered county government and politics since 1987. Mike's skills as an investigative reporter earned him first-place awards in investigative writing. Mike also helped the Chronicle win the Frances Devore Award for Public Service in 2002.


71 comments

  • Rob Desantos

    February 28, 2023 at 1:24 pm

    It’s just endless political theater for these Florida Republican hacks, with a hefty dose of First Amendment violation.

    I’m sure you’ll all be surprised to hear that Blaze Imbroglio never graduated college.

    • Carlos Saenz

      March 8, 2023 at 6:39 pm

      Read the Republican Parties Platform in 1860. It SUPPORTED slavery in the SOUTH… I did not support slavery in the western territories. Read the Stephen A Douglas and Abraham Lincoln Debates where Stephen A Douglas is CLEARLY arguing for SUPPORTING SLAVE STATES and free states. The GOP would ALSO need to be cancel…. If the bill were to be passed.

  • SteveHC

    February 28, 2023 at 1:30 pm

    Yet another moronic waste of time and taxpayers’ money from Floridian Republicans.

    • Kathryn

      March 1, 2023 at 8:17 am

      Ingoglia conveniently omits the fact that the 2 parties reversed their platforms years after the Civil War. Therefore, we can propose to ‘Eliminate the GOP in Florida’, based on the numerous atrocities of the past that they still support which target certain groups of people.

      • Carlos

        March 8, 2023 at 6:54 pm

        He also ignored the fact that the Republican Party of 1860 SUPPORTED SLAVE STATES and free states. The front runner for President was Stephen A Douglas and he argued vehemently in SUPPORT of SLAVE STATES and free states that states shall make the choice. The Republican Party and their leader ABRAHAM LINCOLN stated in in his 2nd Inaugural address. “while the government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it” Keep in mind that it was currently HIS GOVERNMENT. So even in the middle of the war, Abraham Lincoln was STILL in SUPPORT of allowing the south to have SLAVES. That is SUPPORTING SLAVERY. It was not until hundreds of thousands of soldiers died, did Lincoln have enough and he just finally issued the Emaciation Proclamation.

  • Republicans are literally insane

    February 28, 2023 at 1:54 pm

    One Party Rule! Just like they had in the USSR, and still have in China, and North Korea. Because Freedom!

    • Carlos

      March 8, 2023 at 6:55 pm

      Nope the Republican party SUPPORTED slavery in the SOUTH ONLY. They were not in support of Slavery expanding to the territories. So they would BOTH need to be dissolved.

  • Kevin

    February 28, 2023 at 2:05 pm

    Next up: let’s ban whigs!

    • Frank Lazar

      March 1, 2023 at 9:58 am

      There aren’t any Whigs left to ban.

  • It's Complicated

    February 28, 2023 at 2:20 pm

    Agreed that this is pure political theatre. Hope they hear it in committee, because the testimony could be entertaining.

  • Connie Roark

    February 28, 2023 at 3:25 pm

    How do these empty headed provocateurs get in positions of power? It says something about Florida’s educational system.

    • Skip Hayt

      February 28, 2023 at 9:21 pm

      People like him hate our educators and use them as soft targets in their culture wars. People like him get elected in spite of our education system, not because of it.

    • sam

      March 1, 2023 at 6:57 am

      Because they have Empty Headed People voting for them

    • Carlos

      March 8, 2023 at 6:58 pm

      Very TRUE!!! He has NOT read an history book EVER… The Republican Party Platform in 1860 SUPPORTED SLAVE states AND FREE states. The Republican Party in 1860 did not support slave TERRITORIES. They were VERY SPECIFIC and many Republican’s INCLUDING LIncoln in his 2nd Inaugural address stated. “while the government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it.” (it being slavery)

  • Cancel

    February 28, 2023 at 4:02 pm

    Hope somone janauary 6s him lol

  • Dan

    February 28, 2023 at 4:16 pm

    This is insanity. I don’t know what the hell happened to this state. Its literally falling apart all around us and we’re getting flooded by all these rednecks that are just messing it up even more. I’m embarrassed to be from here.

    • Josh Green

      March 1, 2023 at 12:16 am

      Get out while the getting is good.
      Florida is going full on Idiocracy under these GOP morons.

      • Carlos

        March 8, 2023 at 7:02 pm

        they are soo stupid they are going to dissolve their party with this law. In 1860 the Republican Party’s proposal and many debates stated that they SUPPORTED SLAVE states and free states, they specified they did not support slave TERRORITIES. Even in the middle of the war during Lincoln’s 2nd inaugural address Lincoln stated this. “while the government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it” (IT being slavery)

    • Mr. Haney

      March 1, 2023 at 7:41 am

      Republicans continue to destroy Florida.

    • Steve Spang

      March 1, 2023 at 9:43 am

      Holding a degree from University of Miami, Coral Gables, I won’t be back, nor spend a penny in Florida, until it’s politics changes. I’m embarrassed to have any history in this MAGA enclave.

  • John Debus

    February 28, 2023 at 4:49 pm

    That would be great. We can than unite with the other NPA’s and 3rd party voters and take back our state. And bring in Rank Choice Voting to insure that the people continue ruling with the majority vote.

    • HyenaNoises

      March 1, 2023 at 2:12 pm

      You should look up STAR voting.
      It’s like a hybrid of approval and ranked voting styles.
      https://www.starvoting.org/

      Instead of just a yes/no of approval, or the favorite to least elimination style of ranked, it combines those mechanics together with ranked approval. So now you can rank your approval of each politicians on a scale of 0-5.

      Instead of only getting one single vote for each, now you can vote for as many as you want and it won’t take away the votes from one another. So you could give your third party of choice 5 points, and also give what ever stooge the DNC tosses out 5 points as well, or 3, or 2, or none.

      Then which ever two have the most points will be sent into a automatic runoff where it’ll determine the winner by who ever has the most single votes.

      Boe Jiden might have 50 points, while Sir Funnybottom has 40 points
      But Boe Jiden only has 10 votes, and Sir Funnybottom has 20 votes. Sir Funnybottom wins.

  • DBC

    February 28, 2023 at 4:50 pm

    Someone please start a 2 state ballot initiative creating South/North Florida. Let them go full Alabama.

    • Brad

      March 1, 2023 at 10:26 pm

      As long as Gainesville is considered a South Florida enclave.

  • Elizabeth HOCK

    February 28, 2023 at 5:05 pm

    If he represented me, I would be livid. He’s wasting the time and money of the people of Florida. What a joke.

  • T.C.

    February 28, 2023 at 5:13 pm

    “‘Let’s have those conversations.'”

    Sure, let’s have the conversation about how the racists and segregationists in the Democratic Party became Dixiecrats and then Republicans. Let’s talk about how the faction that defended slavery in the Civil War era were CONSERVATIVES, regardless of party name, and are the same faction that pushed Jim Crow laws, resisted integration, and continue to oppose basic civil rights for women, LGBT+ people, African-Americans, and everyone else who isn’t a WASP.
    The Democratic Party shrugged off its bigots and moved forward. The Republican Party has embraced outright lies, Q-Anonsense, conspiracy theories, disproven economic theory, and fascist white-nationalism.

    • Florida Stupidity

      February 28, 2023 at 5:29 pm

      Exactly! Said it more articulately than I did.

    • M.

      February 28, 2023 at 6:34 pm

      What does it say about the GOP party that they latched onto the dems FAILURES?

    • Ker

      February 28, 2023 at 7:54 pm

      They can’t have those conversations they’re too busy banning the books about that to talk about it

    • Thurmanlady

      March 1, 2023 at 11:53 am

      There was no “switch” after the CRA & VRA. The Dixiecrat senators who fought civil rights all, but one, remained Democrats for life, raised another Democrat (Al Gore), mentored Democrats (the Clintons), and died Democrats.

      The GOP is, was, & still is a “classical liberal” party, while the Democratic Party is, was, & still is the party who judges & stereotypes people based on race. The term most often used for that is “racist.”

      If you agree that people should be censored or canceled for their past comments, this is exactly what should happened. Better yet, the Democratic Party should cancel itself.

      • HyenaNoises

        March 1, 2023 at 1:59 pm

        Well yeah the already established politicians weren’t going to change much, but their voter base did.

        And with them came new politicians born of that new voter base of the former southern conservative “state rights” democrats.

      • Brad

        March 1, 2023 at 10:27 pm

        There is nothing classically liberal about book-banning or banning abortions.

        • Bill

          March 3, 2023 at 11:06 pm

          Literally neither has happened. You’re a Qanoner

  • Florida Stupidity

    February 28, 2023 at 5:26 pm

    I’m all for it. But won’t they be surprised when their own legislation ends up ending the Republican Party as they were the Southern Democrats of old. This is what happens when history isn’t taught in schools. They don’t even realize that the parties switched platforms.

    • M.

      February 28, 2023 at 6:36 pm

      Oh, theyre aware, they just openly deny it ever happened and claim anyone who says so should “Du yur oan reeeesurch!!”

    • Bill

      March 3, 2023 at 11:07 pm

      The party switch is a lie the Democrats cooked up and idiots like you believe.

  • Paul

    February 28, 2023 at 5:29 pm

    Mike, you forgot to mention that prior to Lincoln, the Republican party absolutely supported chattel slavery for black.

    • Bill

      March 3, 2023 at 11:13 pm

      From the 1856 party platform “Resolved: That, with our Republican fathers, we hold it to be a self-evident truth, that all men are endowed with the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that the primary object and ulterior design of our Federal Government were to secure these rights to all persons under its exclusive jurisdiction; that, as our Republican fathers, when they had abolished Slavery in all our National Territory, ordained that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law, it becomes our duty to maintain this provision of the Constitution against all attempts to violate it for the purpose of establishing Slavery in the Territories of the United States by positive legislation, prohibiting its existence or extension therein. That we deny the authority of Congress, of a Territorial Legislation, of any individual, or association of individuals, to give legal existence to Slavery in any Territory of the United States, while the present Constitution shall be maintained.”

      I guess you’re wrong.

  • Larry Horse

    February 28, 2023 at 5:40 pm

    Call this what it is! Fascism. Plain and simple. DeSantis, Abbott, Paxton, MGT; too many republicans to name. They are fascists and they must be voted out of any positions of power in this country. Vote these traitors out of elected positions in our country! We don’t have to be tolerant of their intolerance.

  • Arm The Homeless

    February 28, 2023 at 5:42 pm

    I can’t tell if bloated blase wants the Confederate statues –and counties named after Confederates– removed as well. I assume not since his base started a riot in Charlottesville to stop the removal of those types of statues.

  • Bill Pollard

    February 28, 2023 at 6:24 pm

    As crazy as this bill is, I wonder whether it could be passed into law.

    • Dr. Franklin Waters

      March 1, 2023 at 12:21 am

      It can’t be.
      It’s an Ex Post Facto Law, and completely unconstitutional per Article One of the United States Constitution.

      This guy is just another uneducated Republican fool holding office.

      • Joe Rastro

        March 1, 2023 at 8:43 am

        Did you mean the first amendment? Article I deals with the creation of the federal legislature.

        • Joe Rastro

          March 1, 2023 at 8:44 am

          Oops. Nevermind. Not sure how I missed the “ex-post facto”

      • Frank Lazar

        March 1, 2023 at 10:01 am

        Actually the Constitution gives states full authority on elections. Any laws are okay as long as they do not disenfranchise voters of a protected class.

        Political parties are not protrected. Decades ago it was actually illegal in the nation to be a member of the Communist Party. (Ironically enough, no such law was passed against the Nazi Party)

        • Rob Desantos

          March 1, 2023 at 10:24 am

          Well Frank, the act which made the Communist Party illegal was determined to be unconstitutional, as a clear violation of the First Amendment, and it was then repealed, which is exactly what will happen if this stunt bill passes.

          “The right to participation in the political process through groups of their own choosing cannot be proscribed or limited without some semblance of due process.”

        • Dr. Franklin Waters

          March 1, 2023 at 1:54 pm

          Actually, you’re wrong.

          The Constitution says that individual states can’t pass Ex Post Facto Laws either

          • Bill

            March 3, 2023 at 11:15 pm

            Now do guns

  • Bad Branch Charlie

    February 28, 2023 at 6:55 pm

    Yeah, let’s have that “conversation”, Bubba. You make your arguments your way and I’ll argue it mine, and see what it gets you.

    Folks, there is only one way this fascist movement is going to be stopped. It’s time we got to it.

  • John Brown's Body

    February 28, 2023 at 6:56 pm

    Just wait till this guy finds out about the FLGOP platform on prison slave labor

  • Jeff Jones

    February 28, 2023 at 6:57 pm

    I’m way more interested in who is acting against my interests NOW. I’m way more interested in who demonizes people who look like me NOW,. I’m way more interested in who can only seem to reference my people in a negative light unless I toe the line, in which case, I’m suddenly presidential material. Democrats come at me with issues I’m concerned about as a citizen. Republicans come at me talking about three things only: Plantations, crime, and they try to block my vote. I will NEVER vote republican, and it has nothing to do with Democrats.

  • Marty

    February 28, 2023 at 7:00 pm

    How REDICULOUS to even suggest such a thing! Someone did NOT study US history because it’s well known that most slave owners were Conservative/Republicans.

  • Ocean Joe

    February 28, 2023 at 7:16 pm

    If our “leaders” keep this up, Mississippi is going to sue us for identity theft, and win.

  • Speed C.

    February 28, 2023 at 7:18 pm

    I find it disturbing that the Florida Republicans are saying the left is the cancel culture party. Did the Democrats tell Americans they can not disclose their sexual orientation in the classroom? Unless of course it is a male and female relationship then it’s ok. Did Democrats punish a corporation for exercising its 1st Amendment right which it has mind you due to the Republican backed Citizens United Act? And before you say, “The bill dissolved all Special Districts in Florida… the Villages, a heavy Republican filled community still has its Special District. Did the Democrats say that learning the history of minorities is wrong and shall be dismantled in not just the public school system but private universities as well? Did the Democrats take one out of the ole Nazi playbook of banning books? Did the Democrats say a woman doesn’t have the right to privacy? The list goes on and yet the Democrats are cancelling everything and taking away your freedoms? Wake up Florida our Democracy, that I spent 13 years defending in the US Army, depends on it!

    • Cynthia Beckles

      February 28, 2023 at 8:33 pm

      Speed C, Thank you for the well written post. We have quite a fight on our hands in Florida. We will fight. Thank you for your service.

  • Pez

    February 28, 2023 at 8:48 pm

    This might not be a bad thing.

  • Fart

    February 28, 2023 at 8:52 pm

    Fart

  • Registered user

    February 28, 2023 at 10:38 pm

    Ironically, he’s going to leave out the fact that southern Democrats were conservatives.

  • Ullt Rey

    March 1, 2023 at 10:02 am

    According to the 13th. Amendment, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States”. Both are still legal in the case of criminals. Also, the military draft forces some young men to serve involuntarily. Democrats recently tried to extend registering for conscription to women. Those are two problems with this legislation because some republicans also support prisons and conscription. The statute of limitations has long ago expired for democrats who supported slavery in the 1850’s however.

  • In Florida Not Of It

    March 1, 2023 at 10:47 am

    Gee, I feel so pwned.

  • Tony truth

    March 1, 2023 at 12:32 pm

    Interesting the Dems not acknowledging their past. Never happened..sweep it under the rug… cancel statues,names…etc but not our party name… use a different name…do u know Lincoln freed the slaves in the south…oh no he was really a democrat under his beard…Booth was a democrat that shot him…let’s cancel all Booth names…oh no some might vote democratic…nobody is taking the vote away just changing a name

    • Jason

      March 1, 2023 at 1:45 pm

      Personally I’m fully in favor of both these old parties being shelved into a dusty closet so a new crop of parties can shine for a change instead of continuing to be stuck in this 200 year slug match we’ve been roped up in between rep and dems and all their collective baggage.

      So many smaller groups and parties all just constantly swept under the rug into these bloated tents while none of their issues and concerns ever get addressed while the GOP gets their voters riled up over petty made up nonsense, and the DNC is more concerned with sawing off it’s left wing, then browbeating us to keep voting for them when elections come up.

  • Stevens

    March 1, 2023 at 12:34 pm

    Wasn’t Florida a slave state?

  • Uhoh

    March 1, 2023 at 1:53 pm

    Blaise’s cell phone number was very easy to find (352) 346-6998

    • Dr. Franklin Waters

      March 1, 2023 at 2:17 pm

      Thanks! I gave him a call.

    • Stevens

      March 1, 2023 at 2:26 pm

      Hey, when I was an elected official, I didn’t keep my cell phone number secret either. People would try to organize harassment campaigns against me with it, from time to time. They were all spectacular flops, but they did alert me to who my most devoted critics were. Mostly, I took them as signs that something I had done had gotten to them. Hope we’re not going to give this jerk the same satisfaction.

    • Robin

      March 1, 2023 at 8:40 pm

      Thank you because no one answers either of his state senate office numbers.

  • Birdie

    March 1, 2023 at 10:26 pm

    I love that the response to being socially cancelled (being no-platformed because nobody wants to listen to you) and the legal removal of confederate monuments (after a majority vote) is to suppress the voting rights of people you don’t like. As if being socially criticized and being prevented from voting are the same thing.

  • Kat

    March 4, 2023 at 1:45 am

    I wonder if that includes Republicans as well, because the old Southern Democrats like Strom Thurmond, switched to Republican because of the civil rights movement. They did not want black people to have equal rights and were FOR segregation.

  • OkinSama

    March 4, 2023 at 3:48 pm

    What a nutjob. By his same reasoning, they’d HAVE to ban the Republican party too, since they’re the party of right-wing conservatives, and right-wing conservatives were the ones who supported slavery. See how that works?

  • Lara Henry

    March 6, 2023 at 8:44 pm

    You are not allowed to remove the Democratic Party according to the U.S. Constituent.

Comments are closed.


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