Here's a list of hasty, ill-advised, just plain mean bills coming from Florida Legislature
Editorials from The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board are the opinions of the Board, not of the Post newsroom.
All it takes for a bad idea to become law in Florida is a partisan supermajority of state lawmakers who either are driven by ideology, eager to grant questionable favors or simply compliant enough to do as they're told. Such is the the state of the Florida Legislature, which seems content with its reputation as a right-wing political petri dish.
Take HB 1/SB 202, the bill expanding eligibility for voucher scholarships to any public school student. The bill's a priority that has been fast-tracked to move through the Legislature and onto Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk. So has HB 837/SB 236, which makes it more difficult to sue insurance companies and other businesses, and don't forget HB 7/SB 300, the bill that bans abortions after six weeks to the list of high-priority bills that will likely become law.
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Credit Gov. DeSantis' unannounced presidential campaign as the Legislature is doing all it can to give him a platform befitting his "free state" of Florida. Beyond that, lawmakers generally follow their political parties and legislative leaders. That reality often runs counter to the wishes of constituents. Floridians, however, still have a say with their voice and their vote. Information also helps, which leads The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board to present this list of select legislation that illustrates the ideology and the absurdity driving state lawmakers:
HB 555/SB 450: Angered that the Parkland school shooter ended up with life in prison, lawmakers want to loosen the law that requires a unanimous jury decision to impose the death penalty. Under this bill a simple majority would be enough, a change that could have unforeseen and unwanted consequences.
HB 991/SB 1220: The First Amendment restrains Congress from curtailing the free speech and press rights, but this isn't stopping the Florida Legislature from doing so. This bill opens the door for litigation against journalists by weakening constitutional protections. This one's heading to the U.S. Supreme Court, which may be the intent.
HB 1011/SB 668: Bad enough this bill bans local governments from displaying gay pride and other flags that don't fit newly drawn criteria. But, the Senate sponsor offered an amendment that would have allowed local governments to fly the Confederate flag. That "mistake" was withdrawn after the media got wind of it.
HB 1191/SB 1258: Bill provides for a study to see if phosphogypsum, a by-product from manufacturing phosphate, can be used as material for road construction. The bill is moving through the House, even though the federal Environmental Protection Agency tried and later prohibited phosphogypsum's use for health and safety reasons.
HB 1223/SB 1320: Think "Don't Say Gay" through the 8th grade. That what this bill does, extending the prohibition on sexual orientation and gender identity discussion into middle school. It also requires school districts to publish its parental appeal process to help parents dispute any such classroom discussion.
HB 1265/SB 952, HB 1421/SB 254, HB 1521/SB 1674: A transgender trifecta. One bill requires employers providing coverage of gender dysphoria treatment to cover the costs of reversing that procedure. Another sets new prohibitions on sex-reassignment prescriptions and procedures. The last governs transgender bathroom use.
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HB 1543: This bill drops the minimum age to buy a firearm from 21 to 18, just five years after Florida's big attempt at gun safety following the 2018 massacre at Parkland's Marjorie Stoneman Douglass High School. The bill has sailed through the House, but Senate President Kathleen Passidomo opposes it.
SB 932: This bill would make it illegal for dogs to have their heads hanging out the windows of moving vehicles. It drew ridicule from dog owners who saw the legislation as a massive government overreach. It won't be unleashed on the public.
SB 1316: Tucked inside this bill is a requirement that bloggers paid for writing about the Governor, the Florida Cabinet or legislators must register with the state. The bill was such a stinker that even former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich urged the sponsor to kill it. The bill isn't moving at the moment but hasn't been withdrawn.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Ron DeSantis, Florida Legislature work to turn anti-woke ideas into law
