After heated debate, committee approves bill to designate Oct. 14 as Charlie Kirk Day

Senate Bill 194, introduced by Senator Martin, would designate Oct. 14 — Charlie Kirk's birthday — as a day of remembrance in Florida to recognize Kirk's influence on civic engagement, youth leadership and constitutional education. Martin told the committee the bill would not create a state holiday or require closures and framed the measure as honoring Kirk's civic engagement and defense of free speech.

The measure prompted sharply divided testimony. Andrew Charvel, founder and executive director of Florida Voice for the Unborn, testified in support and framed Kirk as an "unwavering champion for the rights of unborn children," asking the committee to "Please pass senate bill 1 94 to honor Charlie's legacy and martyrdom." Opponents from Equal Ground, including Kiara Nixon and Genesis Robinson, urged the committee to consider Kirk's record of public statements. Nixon quoted an earlier remark she attributed to Kirk that "we made a huge mistake when we passed the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s," and Robinson told senators that creating a state‑sanctioned day of remembrance "sends a message about who Florida honors."

Senator Jones offered a late-filed amendment (barcode 163,146) to pair the date with the birthday of George Floyd and argued the change would guard against "selective remembrance." The amendment was rejected in committee after a roll call; Senators Berman and Jones voted yes while other members, including Senators Harrell and Simon, voted no. The underlying bill drew extended debate on the Senate floor about whether statutory recognition is appropriate for a contemporary political activist whose rhetoric some members characterized as divisive.

Senator Martin and other supporters said Kirk's role in energizing civic engagement among young people and the circumstances of his death — he was killed while engaging in public debate, Martin said — justified a day of remembrance. Opponents said state statute is not the right vehicle to honor a partisan, contemporary figure and warned that the legislature should avoid normalizing rhetoric they described as discriminatory.

The committee's roll call on SB 194 recorded no for Senator Berman and yes votes for Senators Harrell, Rodriguez, Simon and the chair (recorded), and the bill was reported favorably to the next stage.