DeSantis’ agenda fast-tracked, a ‘manufactured circus,’ and major legislative overhauls

It’s Monday, March 27, and if you blink, you might just miss the 2023 legislative session. Republican leaders are fast-tracking Gov. Ron DeSantis’ legislative priorities to help bolster what is expected to be a soon-to-be announced presidential campaign. As that happens, the Republican governor is refining his message for a national audience, most recently on foreign policy.

WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT

Legal reforms divide GOP: DeSantis signed into law a sweeping overhaul of Florida’s legal landscape that will make it harder, and more expensive, to sue insurance companies. Some Republican senators have been concerned that the legal reforms tilt the scales too far in favor of insurance companies, and former President Donald Trump has called it an insurance company “bailout.”

Vouchers for all: A plan to offer every K-12 school-aged child in Florida a voucher or education savings account regardless of family income is headed to DeSantis for final consideration. But disagreements remain on how to fund the program, with major discrepancies between the House and Senate.

Permitless carry: A bill that would let people carry concealed firearms without a permit and without training passed out of the House on Friday, putting the bill just a step away from the governor’s desk.

Corporate ‘wokeness’: The Florida House passed a measure that would prevent consideration of “environmental, social and governance” standards in investing government money. It is a priority of the governor. The measure’s fate is now up to the Senate.

Fixing the affordable housing crisis: Since 2001, GOP lawmakers and governors have diverted more than $2 billion in tax dollars assigned to creating affordable housing and spent it on other things. Not this year. Lawmakers want to spend $711 million to build affordable housing, incentivize new construction through tax breaks and offer interest-free loans to help Floridians afford down payments.

The power of one: Legislation ready for a final vote would give businesses a powerful new tool in Florida: the ability to file a lawsuit and single-handedly block a new local ordinance or rule. The bill was designed by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and opponents warn that, if approved, it will have a chilling effect on the willingness of cities and counties to manage their communities.

Expanding an untested State Guard: When Gov. Ron DeSantis first proposed reviving the long-dormant Florida State Guard; he wanted 200 volunteers and a modest $5 million budget. Now it’s 1,500 members and a nearly $100 million budget — with police powers, helicopters, boats and possible cell phone-hacking technology, under a proposed budget backed by Republican leaders in the House that largely mirrors DeSantis’ vision.

Abortion restrictions: Legislation that would ban abortions after six weeks also includes $25 million for the state’s alternatives-to-abortion program. The goal is to expand the reach of pregnancy centers following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last summer to overturn Roe v. Wade, a landmark decision that had protected abortion rights for half a century.

Healthcare ‘equity’ targeted: In 2017, when Florida Department of Health officials crafted their once-every-five-years list of state health goals, they published what was then a noncontroversial top priority: improving health equity. When a new plan was written in 2022, “equity” was absent from the state’s priorities.

A show of defiance: The Walt Disney Company will host a major conference promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in the workplace in Central Florida this September, gathering executives and professionals from the world’s largest companies in a defiant display of the limits of DeSantis’ campaign against diversity training.

Shielding DeSantis’ travel details: Citing an increase in public records requests for the governor’s travel schedule, Florida legislators are advancing a bill that would shield from the public any information about how and where DeSantis and some other state officials go. The bill would impose the first-ever public records exemption for transportation records and would take effect retroactively, prohibiting anyone from scrutinizing how DeSantis has used his state travel in the past and as he prepares for a likely campaign for the Republican nomination for president.

Changing tunes on Ukraine: A week after calling the war between Ukraine and Russia a “territorial dispute,” DeSantis abruptly changed his message in an interview published Wednesday, saying Russia was wrong to invade its neighboring country and calling for Vladimir Putin to be held accountable. “I think he is a war criminal,” the Republican Florida governor told the New York Post’s Piers Morgan. Ukraine, he added, has “right to that territory.”

‘Manufactured circus’: DeSantis said he would not be involved in what he called a “manufactured circus” over a possible indictment of Trump by a New York prosecutor over allegations that Trump paid hush money to a porn actress before he was elected in 2016. “I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair. I just can’t speak to that,’’ DeSantis said.

Drag performers object to bills: Republicans in the House and Senate advanced bills that would make it easier for the state to crack down on drag performances in cases when children are present. Supporters of the measures say they want to protect children from “sexualized content,” but opponents — including several drag performers and charity fundraisers — say the proposed legislation is an attack on the LGBTQ community.

More classroom restrictions: DeSantis’ administration is proposing a rule that says teachers in grades 4 to 12 “shall not intentionally provide classroom instruction” on those topics — unless the lessons are “expressly required” by the state’s academic standards or are part of a reproductive health course. The State Board of Education will vote on it April 19, and if approved, it would go beyond what state law currently requires.

Teacher pay at issue: Members of the State Board of Education are considering ways to put “pressure” on local leaders of teachers unions and school board members amid delays in planned salary increases for teachers in some districts.

WHAT WE ARE WATCHING

Heart transplant program on pause: Adult heart transplants are temporarily suspended at Miami Transplant Institute, run by Jackson Health and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The hospital confirmed it ‘voluntarily placed its adult heart transplant program on temporary inactive status’ while it undergoes ‘an in-depth review of our care.’

DeSantis sends troopers to Miami Beach: DeSantis sent dozens of Florida Highway Patrol troopers to Miami Beach to re-enforce local officers patrolling spring break crowds. The troopers are tasked to patrol the streets, keep order and to prevent “violent, illegal and unruly behavior,” officials said. The sudden deployment is directly connected to violent crimes in the city over the last week.

Parkland dad arrested: A South Florida gun-control activist whose son was killed in the Parkland school shooting was arrested at the U.S. Capitol complex, charged with refusing a police officer’s orders after being removed from a Republican-led hearing about a federal gun regulatory agency.

Mental health on the hot seat: Invoking Florida’s new parents’ rights law, the Miami-Dade School Board will review how students learn about managing their emotions, collaborating with others and developing their identities — a move that comes as the number of students experiencing mental health concerns has significantly increased in recent years.

Parents vs. Michelangelo’s David: The Tallahassee Classical School, a charter school, drew national attention after its board forced its principal to resign after three parents complained about an art teacher showing a picture of Michelangelo’s 16th-century sculpture David. The move ignited a national conversation about Florida’s parental rights law and the state of education in Florida.

What does the board chair have to say about it? In an interview with Slate, the school’s board chair, Barney Bishop III, explains how the decision stems from the view that “parental rights are supreme” and a curated curriculum that aligns with DeSantis’ vision.

In this week’s episode of “Woke Wars,” the weekly podcast of the Miami Herald opinion team, they tackle the Legislature’s efforts to legislate issues pertaining to sexuality and gender issues.

Thank you for reading! The Politics and Policy in the Sunshine State newsletter was curated this week by Tallahassee Bureau Reporter Ana Ceballos. We appreciate our readers, and if you have any ideas or suggestions, please drop me a note at aceballos@miamiherald.com.

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