Palm Beach refuses to lower flags for Limbaugh
Palm Beach County has defied Florida’s governor and refused to lower its flags for a day in honor of Rush Limbaugh.
FOOT LASDEODALE, FLA. >> Palm Beach County defied Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday, refusing to lower its courthouse flags to half-staff in honor of the late conservative broadcaster Rush Limbaugh.
The county’s courthouse flags remained at full staff, ignoring Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Tuesday afternoon order directing its U.S. and Florida flags to be flown at halfstaff. He also ordered the Town of Palm Beach and the State Capitol in Tallahassee to fly their flags at halfstaff from sunrise to sunset on Wednesday. Those flags were lowered.
Palm Beach County would only say it followed “normal protocols” on Wednesday, but Commissioner Melissa McKinlay posted a statement on Twitter saying, “The lowering of flags should be a unifying gesture during solemn occasions, such as in remembrance of the young lives lost during the Parkland High School massacre or first responder line of duty deaths.” She was referring to the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas in nearby Parkland that left 17 dead.
McKinlay continued: “Although Rush Limbaugh was a significant public figure, he was also an incredibly divisive one who hurt many people with his words and actions.”
Officials in the Town of Palm Beach, the wealthy island enclave where Limbaugh lived for two decades, issued a statement saying its policy is to comply with governor’s orders to lower the flags.
The governor’s press office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Flags are typically lowered to honor prominent government officials, as well as law enforcement officers and members of the military killed in the line of duty. DeSantis has said Limbaugh’s stature justified the honor.
Limbaugh, 70, died of lung cancer on Feb. 17. DeSantis called Limbaugh a legend during a news conference two days later and indicated he would direct flags to be flown at half-staff to honor him.