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Palm Beach County refuses to lower flags for Rush Limbaugh

FILE - In this May 14, 2012 file photo, Rush Limbaugh speaks during a ceremony inducting him into the Hall of Famous Missourians in the state Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is moving ahead with plans to honor the recently deceased conservative radio broadcaster by lowering flags to half-staff despite protests from some public officials who don't see Limbaugh as worthy of the honor. (AP Photo/Julie Smith, File)
FILE - In this May 14, 2012 file photo, Rush Limbaugh speaks during a ceremony inducting him into the Hall of Famous Missourians in the state Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is moving ahead with plans to honor the recently deceased conservative radio broadcaster by lowering flags to half-staff despite protests from some public officials who don't see Limbaugh as worthy of the honor. (AP Photo/Julie Smith, File) FILE - In this May 14, 2012 file photo, Rush Limbaugh speaks during a ceremony inducting him into the Hall of Famous Missourians in the state Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is moving ahead with plans to honor the recently deceased conservative radio broadcaster by lowering flags to half-staff despite protests from some public officials who don't see Limbaugh as worthy of the honor. (AP Photo/Julie Smith, File)

By TERRY SPENCER and BOBBY CAINA CALVAN / Associated Press 3 min read

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – 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 half-staff. He also ordered the Town of Palm Beach and the State Capitol in Tallahassee to fly their flags at half-staff 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.