State song compromise heads to Crist

The House followed the Senate's lead Thursday night and voted 83-31 to remove racially offensive lyrics from the state's current song, "Swanee (Old Folks at Home)" and to create a state anthem called "Florida, Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky," chosen from a yearlong statewide contest.

Sponsor Ed Homan, R-Temple Terrace, played a video of children singing the song, written by Jan Hinton, a music teacher at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale who watched from the visitors' gallery (picture at right). House leaders earlier hadn't been eager to take up the proposal, saying the state has more pressing matters. After the vote, a tearful Hinton expressed joy and relief, despite the criticism by some lawmakers of her song.

"The reason this is worth taking our time is because a state anthem gives us a sense of pride and belonging," said Rep. Kevin Ambler, R-Tampa.

"To replace this, to have to have a second song, I think is unfair," said Rep. Will Kendrick, R-Carrabelle. "I would love to change history, but we can't do it. ...It's just the wrong way to do things."

Five of the 31 House members who voted against the song/anthem combo (SB 1558) are Tampa Bay Republicans: Ed Hooper of Clearwater, John Legg of Port Richey, Peter Nehr of Tarpon Springs, Rob Schenck of Brooksville and Will Weatherford of Wesley Chapel.

Comments

Absolutely right - this is certainly more important thatn TAX REFORM or fixing property insurance or fixing property taxes or adequately funding education or keeping the safety net intact for abused children, the elderly, the severely mentally and physically handicapped, and the chronically severely ill.

Great job Republican Leadership - you most certainly have an interesting sense of priorities!

We'll remember this in November!!!!!

This was not a party line vote, 9:35. Many R's voted against the bill, on the principle that there were more important things to be doing for the people on the day before the last day of session. In fact, many DEMOCRATS were pushing for the bill to be heard. Get with it.

It doesn't get put on Special Order Calendar without the approval of the Republican Leadership - get real!!!

Charlie! You should be vetoing any bill that does absolutely nothing. Send a signal to the legislature that their time should be spent making meaningful cures for the ills of the state instead of wasting their time with frivolous junk bills like this. What is a state song going to do for the overtaxed citizens of this state? Veto trucknutz, veto guns at work, veto csx, veto Rubio's present to his friend, veto everything that doesn't fix a problem. Come on Charlie! Be strong or I'll start calling for everybody who owns a set of outlawed trucknutz to send them to you since you don't have any.

[mike]

Good grief. More "gameshow politics" from the Game Show Host-in-Chief. What a circus!

[Dave]

More proof our legislature has no idea how to deal with real problems.

[Mark]

Idiots on Parade!

I'm sure Charlie is voting for "I'm too sexy for my shirt"!!

[Kim]

Does this mean we now will have both?

[Linda]

Politicians, get with it! We need oil drilling, housing mortgage relief, insurance reform, health care reform, lower food prices, stiffer penalties for crime perpetrators, etc., etc., etc.!!! What we DON'T NEED is a waste of taxpayers' time and money on stupidity - as evidenced by the wastefulness of all that in this debacle of changing state songs. That's changing history - shall we say Washington was the 9th president?? Shall we say Columbus discovered American in l942?? Get with the program, politicians!! Earn your money instead of wasting it!

9:55 has the right idea.

[RE]

Leave my heritage and my history alone! For me, the State Song will ALWAYS be Old Folks At Home, complete with original words as written by S. Foster.

I second that, RE!

You pandering pinheads can pick any song you wish… “…the State Song will ALWAYS be Old Folks At Home, complete with original words as written by S. Foster.”

RECALL EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!

Just ammend the Foster song to include "Honkies lobbying after two years." Done!

Just ammend the Foster song to include "Honkies lobbying after two years." And add something about lubricanos and picking tomatoes.

Offend everyone and we're done!

[Joe]

Thank goodness we have this issue, bumper nuts, and baggy pants off the agenda. Now I can sleep at night.

[Jim]

Valdosta here. C'mon Florida, just look what happened to your neighbors up here in Georgia. The minorities and liberals got behind changing our State flag and were successful, partly. Everything is always about race...it's all you hear. Doesn't your legislature have more important things to worry about than "offensive" lyrics in a State song? Vote them out in November.