JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — 7 PM UPDATE: Rep. Angie Nixon issued the following statement after her arrest:
My commitment has always been to the people of my district and to the Constitution I swore to uphold, not to any political party or agenda. I will continue to honor that commitment by fighting against injustice, defending our democracy, and demanding action on the issues that matter most to the people we serve.
I will not allow our rights and representation to be taken away in silence. At a time when people need their leadership to step up and govern, Gov. DeSantis and the Republican-controlled legislature in Florida are playing politics with people’s lives. I was arrested today along with outraged constituents demanding action instead of doing the job taxpayers send them to Tallahassee for. I am calling for the release of all the peaceful protesters arrested today and for this legislature to revisit the Constitution they claim to uphold so that we can have representative maps.
Nikki Fried, Chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, released the following statement:
Floridians have the right to peacefully protest when their communities are under attack and elected officials have a responsibility to stand with them.
We’re deeply concerned by reports that journalists covering the protests were removed from the Capitol. Freedom of the press is a fundamental part of democracy and any threat or limitation to that freedom weakens our country, state, and communities. Only wannabe dictators arrest their political opponents in the shadows.
Florida Democrats will keep fighting to protect every voter’s voice.
END OF UPDATE
A local Florida Representative was arrested Friday after staging a sit-in at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office.
Jason Weida, DeSantis’ chief of staff, posted on X that Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, has been “reprimanded and now arrested.”
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
This comes a day after Nixon was issued a formal reprimand by her colleagues.
The reprimand was in response to Nixon’s protest on the House floor using a pink bullhorn during last month’s vote to pass new congressional maps.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
“I don’t have any regrets about what I did,” Nixon told Action News Jax ahead of the hearing.
Action News Jax is working to learn more details about Nixon’s arrest. This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
