All public Florida colleges and universities may need to rename certain streets after Charlie Kirk or risk losing state funding, if a state lawmaker gets his way.
Republican Rep. Kevin Steele of Dade City filed a bill Tuesday that would require trustees all 40 of Florida’s public institutions to rename roadways, or portions of roadways, in honor of Kirk, a conservative activist who was shot and killed at a Utah college last month.
Under the bill, which did not have a Senate companion as of Tuesday afternoon, schools that fail to rename the roadways could see their state funding withheld.
Some Florida universities have already memorialized Kirk in other ways. New College of Florida announced last month it plans to build a statue of Kirk.
Steele said the bill is not a political stunt.
The reaction of university professors and hospital staff who he believes glorified Kirk’s murder proves that some institutions would not rename the streets unless they were required to, he said.
“I’m inspired by Charlie,” Steele said. “As a young man, he had more wisdom than most adults.”
College campuses are a fitting place to have Kirk’s name recognized, Steele said, because it’s where Kirk began his grassroots work. He said future generations would be able to see Kirk’s name on road signs and ask about him, even if they never heard of him.
Steele said he admired Kirk’s ability to spark conversation over difficult subjects while keeping his composure.
If the bill passes, the University of Florida will need to redesignate Stadium Road as Charlie James Kirk Road.
The University of South Florida’s Alumni Drive and New College’s College Drive could both become Charlie James Kirk Drive. Nearly 40 other road name changes are also proposed.
“My goal with this bill is to continue his legacy through generations of students that will attend our schools and will be faced with many differing ideas,” Steele wrote Wednesday morning in a post on X.
The bill would need to pass the state House and Senate before it is sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The legislative session is slated to begin in January.