Government Overreaching
October 24, 2025 – Opinion by DEC Vice Chair Dan Lack.
The Republican party used to stand for limited government, allowing local communities to function with few directives. Ronald Reagan used to say that the scariest words in the English language were, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”
Those days are over with the MAGA party in control. We recognize the overreach of the federal government, for example, when Trump invades our cities with his military. Florida’s state government also likes to interfere locally.
Florida House Bill 113 was introduced by Republican Kevin Steele to require every public university and college to name one of their roads after Charlie Kirk or lose government funding. Here in Marion County, SW 26th Street at the College of Central Florida would have to change its name to “Charles James Kirk Street.“
It is a tragedy when anyone dies needlessly. But Charlie Kirk had no ties to Florida. He held no government positions. He didn’t cure cancer. He didn’t win the Nobel Prize.
According to factcheck.com, Kirk said that the Civil Rights Act was a huge mistake and that Martin Luther King Jr. was awful. Traversing Charles James Kirk Street will be an affront to every black, brown or white person who admires Dr. King and his tireless efforts to pass the Civil Rights Act.
The Marion County Commissioners already pandered to their MAGA base by dedicating part of County Road 475 to Kirk. Now the Florida legislature wants to force progressive areas, such as Gainesville in Alachua county, to honor Kirk with a street at the University of Florida.
State politicians should not micromanage local communities. If you agree with Rep. Steele, then you should have no problem with renaming SW 26th Street, “Barack Obama Boulevard,” when the Democrats return to power in Tallahassee. By the way, Obama is a Nobel Prize winner.
– Daniel Lack, Ocala