Key Points
A Republican state lawmaker recently filed a bill that would require all 40 of Florida’s public colleges and universities to rename certain streets in honor of Charlie Kirk.
Kirk, a conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on Sept. 10 while speaking at an event on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
State Rep. Kevin Steele, R-Dade City, filed House Bill 113 on Tuesday, which calls for “state university and Florida College System institution boards of trustees to redesignate specified roads or portions of roads to certain names relating to Charlie James Kirk within a specified time period.”
The bill further requires “state funds to be withheld for any university or institution” that fails to “redesignate a road or portion of a roadway within such time period.”
“My goal with this bill is to continue his [Kirk] legacy through generations of students that will attend our schools and will be faced with many differing ideas,” Steele wrote in a Wednesday morning post on X.
If the bill were to pass, the University of Florida would need to redesignate Stadium Road as Charlie James Kirk Road.
Other public colleges in and around Gainesville that would need to make name changes to certain streets:
- Santa Fe College (Gainesville) – redesignating NW 83rd Street as Charlie James Kirk Street.
- Florida Gateway College (Lake City) – redesignating SE College Place as Charlie James Kirk Drive.
- College of Central Florida (Chiefland, Ocala, Lecanto) – redesignating SW 26th Street as Charlie James Kirk Street.
A full list of state institutions included in the bill can be found here.
The 2026 Florida legislative session is scheduled to start on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026.
According to an article by The Hill, if HB 113 were to pass, it would be ready to go into law right away rather than the usual July 1 date for such Florida acts. Once implemented, a college “would have 90 days to rename the road before funding would be cut,” the article said.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.
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This is just nuts. It’s a tragedy that Kirk was killed, but to put him on a pedestal and force him to be idolized is beyond the pall.
This is insane!
FORCE colleges to do this ??? More evidence it’s completely undeserved. His death, ANY death, is a tragedy… But, this is a travesty.
FL gripes about too much government but wastes money on ripping out crosswalks and changing street names. What an absolute waste of taxpayer funds. Leave our streets alone and spend this time and energy fixing real issues.
This has gone too far. Yes, it’s tragic he was killed. But this crap has gone too far.
go ahead. once these crazies are out of office we can just paint over the Charlie Kirk signage. That is how to do it right?
This is just stupid.
It would be a waste of public resources in having to provide new signage and to change all references to the new name.
Charlie Kirk is not a significant Florida person.
It is also designed to inflame feelings either in support or opposition to his messaging.
Everyone should contact their state representative urging them to bury this waste of legislative time. The representatives were elected / hired to do the people of Florida’s business. This is just wasting taxpayer money.
Please do not require this. Let the community decide. I liked Charlie and agree with his plan. I do not believe he would approve.
History is repeating itself.
92 years later.
I guarantee you had Charlie been vocal in supporting liberal points of view, the other side would have treated him as a villain and said vile things in social media with no repercussions. He certainly wouldn’t be getting anything named after him. Charlie was a regular person who shared his points of view and liked to debate, which I agree was his right in this country. He was NOT the second coming of the Messiah. The far right have made him a martyr. I never thought I would see, in my lifetime, the complete deterioration of our government (state and federal), freedoms to express our opinions, and glorification of racism and authoritarianism in my country. Naming streets after someone that expressed some pretty far right views? We must stand up against one-sided freedoms in this great country of ours. As John Dickinson and Patrick Henry stated, “Together we stand, divided we fall”.
Surely there is a muddy ramp to the campus sewage treatment plant that is in need of a rusty road sign?
Whichever Florida college it was that he graduated from should definitely name a street after him. Could somebody remind me which Florida college he attended?
I’m sorry, heart felt condolences to his wife and Family. But this is going to far. He was not a President, or a Rights leader. He was No God. He debated with College Students. This is totally Ridiculous.