Florida’s legislative body ended its 60-day ‘hell of session’ on Friday, where the majority Republican party railroaded some major laws to set the ground for the launch of Governor Ron DeSantis’s highly anticipated presidential campaign to be announced in a few weeks, Politico reported on Saturday.
Politico reported that the final day was rather calm compared to the 59 stormy days of the annual session — one of the most productive spells of right-wing lawmaking in years in any state.
“Week after week, legislators pushed through measures dealing with abortion, guns, the death penalty, immigration, schools and gender identity, sometimes amid protests inside the capital,” Politico reported.
Superminority Democrats, who were almost ineffective during the session could not come up with anything other than calling it a “session from hell” which they said was just a dance to the “extremist tunes.”
According to State Sen Jason Pizzo, a South Florida Democrat, the session was “sadly overshadowed by the aspirations of an absentee governor.”
“DeSantis and legislators were “hellbent on stripping away the very freedoms we hold dear — from reproductive rights and academic freedoms to the right to love who we love,” said Nikki Fried, the Florida Democratic Party chair.
During the session one GOP (Grand Old Party) legislator dubbed transgender activists “demons” and “imps” while another, trying to control some image damage for the Republican Party, said terrorists “hate homosexuals more than we do.”
The fiery session seems to have forged DeSantis into an unprecedently powerful governor with powers that be.
His friends in the lawmaking body granted nearly all of DeSantis’ legislative wishes ranging from new regulations on Disney to a law intended to discourage Chinese investors from acquiring land in the state.
“DeSantis successfully pushed Republican lawmakers to fulfill his conservative agenda, and legislators acknowledged that DeSantis is emerging from the session with a checklist that is unrivaled by other recent Florida governors,” Politico reported.
“I believe it would be political malpractice if he does not run for president,” said state Representative Spencer Roach, a North Fort Myers Republican. “He has to capitalise on this moment.”
DeSantis, who is currently planning barnstorming Wisconsin this weekend and Iowa and Illinois later this month, will ratify many of the bills he fought so hard for shortly.
DeSantis also promulgated a law that allows a board put in place to oversee land used by Disney in order to void a development agreement a previous board had inked with the entertainment giant, according to Politico.
The governor is also slated to sign into law a record $117 billion budget with millions allocated to deal with any legal hurdles that might arise in the implementation of bills passed this year. This year Florida has also set aside more funding to move migrants to other parts of the country.
According to Politico, during the session, Republicans also set their major priorities, including a measure endorsed by House Speaker Paul Renner to offer private school vouchers to any family regardless of their income.
