Florida spent $60,000 on new highway welcome signs that feature a campaign slogan used by Gov. Ron DeSantis in speeches and on merchandise.
Signs welcoming visitors to “The Free State of Florida” now stand at 24 locations along highways and at two welcome centers, said Michael Williams, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation, in an email.
Williams did not answer questions about who decided to erect the new signs, which he said were created in-house at a department facility in Lake City. The state disclosed the cost of the signs, which were unveiled in a DOT press conference last week, in response to a public records request from the Orlando Sentinel.
The department was reviewing its messaging and “took the opportunity to offer a refresh of the signage, including now offering ‘Hurry back’ signage as motorists leave Florida,” he wrote.
The signage, he added, was “not unique to Florida as many states choose to offer a friendly message to drivers who are excited and look forward to crossing state lines when they travel.”