Florida’s leaders are fond of calling our sunny corner of the country the “Free State of Florida.” While no single recent episode proves that Florida has abandoned its commitment to free expression and open government, taken together, the pattern is hard to dismiss. Ron DeSantis has identified organizations he wants to label as terrorist groups. But the state told a federal court it would wait to make formal designations until the Florida Department of Law Enforcement completes the required rules. The dynamic recalls machinery once used by Southern states to intimidate civil rights organizations by treating dissent and association as threats to public order.