Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order Tuesday naming "Seminole Wind," the 1992 song by country singer John Anderson, as "Florida's Anthem."
The order, Executive Order 26-222, took effect immediately. It does not replace the official state anthem set in Florida law. The order says the new title stands apart from the official anthem in section 15.0326 of Florida Statutes, a 2008 law that named "Florida, Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky," written by Jan Hinton.
The order says that song has seen "little to no use" since then.
Because it is an executive order rather than a law, the designation is not written into the statutes. The order encourages the incoming Legislature to add "Seminole Wind" to chapter 15, the part of state law that lists Florida's official symbols.
What else the order does
- Directs the Secretary of State to update state publications, websites and records to reflect the designation and to promote it at the State Capitol.
- Calls for historic markers in Apopka, in Orange County, recognizing Anderson's contributions to Florida's heritage.
- Tells the state's environmental protection department and the St. Johns River Water Management District to rename the Lake Apopka North Shore wildlife drive and trails as the John Anderson Wildlife Drive and Trail System.
