Senate committee advances bill to compensate descendants of Groveland Four with $4 million amendment
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Summary
The Florida Senate Appropriations Committee reported CS/CS for SB 694 favorably after adopting an amendment that adds a $4,000,000 appropriation to be divided equally among the families of the Groveland Four; dozens of family members, faith leaders and civil-rights advocates urged passage during emotional testimony.
Tallahassee — The Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday reported CS/CS for SB 694 favorably after adopting an amendment that adds $4,000,000 to provide compensation to descendants of the Groveland Four.
Senator Bracey Davis, sponsor of the bill, told the committee the measure is “about justice,” recounting the 1949 arrest, coerced confessions and killings that befell Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd and Ernest Thomas. She said the bill is intended to carry the state’s prior acknowledgments — a 2017 legislative apology, 2019 gubernatorial pardons, and a 2021 court vacatur of convictions — into a final remedial step of compensation.
The amendment explained by the sponsor adds $4,000,000 in appropriations and directs equal division so each eligible family would receive 25% of the appropriation; it also updates the designated recipient for the Ernest Thomas family to Gladys Rolison. The committee adopted the amendment and then took public testimony.
Dozens of witnesses appeared in support. Angelia Irving McKinnon, who identified herself as a niece of Walter Lee Irvin, described an elderly father “hanging on” who is praying to live to see the bill pass. “Imagine it being your child, your mother, your father, who has waited over 70 years to get justice,” she said.
Other family members and advocates emphasized the legal milestones that establish the men’s innocence and urged that financial compensation is the remedy the state can now offer. Levon Wright Bracey, speaking as a longtime advocate and friend of the late Senator Geraldine Thompson, said compensation “is not charity. It’s accountability.” Equal Ground and faith leaders also testified that compensation would be a meaningful recognition of the harms done.
Committee members offered endorsements during debate. Senators praised the sponsor and described the bill as a bipartisan step toward restoring dignity to families who endured wrongful convictions, violence and long-term trauma.
Alicia called the roll on CS/CS for SB 694 (as amended). The chair stated the committee reported the bill favorably; committee paperwork shows the measure now advances to the next chamber stage.
The bill’s sponsor and many witnesses framed the measure as limited and targeted: it applies to families identified by the legislation and does not alter criminal records or broader statutory law. The amendment’s appropriation and the named-designation change are part of the committee record.
The committee did not identify a specific floor calendar date during the hearing. The committee action is procedural: it reports the bill favorably to the full Senate for further consideration.
