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Senate committee approves honorary highway designation for Charlie Kirk amid objections

Florida Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development · February 18, 2026

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Summary

The committee reported favorably on SB 1-74, designating a portion of State Road 985 near FIU as 'Charlie Kirk Memorial Avenue.' Supporters cited local student engagement; opponents criticized honoring a politically divisive commentator and spoke against politicizing state road designations.

Senate Bill 1-74 would designate a portion of State Road 985 (Southwest 107th Avenue) near Florida International University as Charlie Kirk Memorial Avenue and direct FDOT to erect appropriate markers.

Sponsor Senator Rodriguez said the designation recognizes documented civic engagement among students at FIU and that the House sponsor helped start the school’s Turning Point USA chapter. FDOT estimated the cost for signs at about $2,400 to be absorbed within existing resources.

Opponents in committee and from public comment said Charlie Kirk’s public statements are divisive and that honorary road designations should be reserved for individuals whose life and service are broadly recognized as civic contributions. Senator Polsky called for road signs to celebrate people who risked their lives or made unusually broad civic contributions. Senator Bracey Davis and others urged honoring Floridians such as civil rights figures as better candidates for limited honorary signage.

After extended debate that touched on free expression, local relevance and the symbolic impact of road markers, the committee recorded a favorable report on the bill by roll call.