In some potentially quite huge and important news out of the Sunshine State, a Florida lawmaker who left the Democratic Party in 2024 to join the GOP has introduced a bill that will, if passed, ban courts and agencies in the state from using Sharia Law, the Islamic legal system that some conservatives fear is coming to America.
As background, the state-level representative involved, Rep. Hillary Cassel, is from Florida’s Broward County. As it moved red in recent years, Cassel jumped ship and went from being a Democrat to a Republican after having served in the state House as a Democrat for two years.
In any case, she introduced the anti-Sharia law bill, titled “HB 119 -Shari’a and Other Foreign Law”, on Wednesday, October 8. The bill would, if it manages to pass the Florida legislature and be upheld constitutionally, ban Florida courts, panels, tribunals, or agencies from basing decisions on the Islamic Shari’a code or other foreign legal systems.
It does to by providing that the right of state entities to “freely contract” is nullified when it comes to a foreign legal code, namely law like Sharia, that would “violate the fundamental liberties, rights, and privileges guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the State Constitution.”
Further, it provides that any ruling or decision from an agency or court that is based on “Shari’a or any foreign law, legal code, or system” is to be considered null and void, as would be any contract providing for “the choice of Shari’a or any foreign law, legal code, or system.”
Posting about the bill on X, conservative personality and commentator Eric Daugherty said, “🚨 BREAKING: The Florida Legislature is now considering a law to BAN Sharia Law from being enforced in the state. PASS IT NATIONWIDE. The “No Shari’a Act” codifies into Florida Statutes that Florida courts and state agencies can NOT enforce or recognize rulings, decisions, or contracts that rely on Shari’a law or any foreign law, legal code, or system if doing so would violate constitutional rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution or the Florida Constitution. Filed by GOP Rep. Hillary Cassel”
Responding to him in a quote tweet, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signalled his support for the bill, declaring that there is no compatibility between American law and Sharia law. The governor wrote, in the quote tweet, “Sharia law has no place in the USA and is incompatible with the Constitution.”
"*" indicates required fields
Also chiming in with a quote tweet was Indiana Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith, who wrote that other states need to consider similar legislation, saying, “With everything happening in Dearborn Michigan, Indiana should consider adopting this Florida legislation. Sharia Law is incompatible with the Constitution.”
Further, US Congressman from Florida Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican, introduced a bill in Congress to ban Sharia nationwide. He said, explaining its importance, “If you want to live under Sharia, return to where you came from, but we’re not interested in you coming here and conquering our country.”