Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) mentioned Tuesday that he needs to completely ban quite a few security measures meant to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, together with masks and vaccine mandates.
“When the world misplaced its thoughts, Florida was a refuge of sanity, serving strongly as freedom’s linchpin,” he mentioned at a press convention, in keeping with CNN. “These measures will guarantee Florida stays this manner and can present landmark protections free of charge speech for medical practitioners.”
DeSantis emerged as a darling of the Republican Get together partly by way of his opposition to federal pandemic pointers. He beforehand enacted short-term government orders to ban COVID-19 security precautions and now hopes to make the insurance policies everlasting.
“We consider that there is no such thing as a turning again from our path,” DeSantis mentioned on the press convention. “And we have to lead with this. We have to lead with this by making all these protections everlasting in state statute, which we're going to do within the upcoming legislative session.”
The governor added that he plans to encourage the Republican-held Florida Home and Senate to help his insurance policies, which embody banning COVID-19 passports previously required for journey and prohibiting employers from hiring or firing staff primarily based on their vaccination standing.
DeSantis mentioned his coverage proposal would come with laws that “protects medical professionals’ freedom of speech,” a rebuttal to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) new regulation that defines spreading medical misinformation as potential skilled misconduct.
DeSantis invited dermatologist Jon Ward, who has made a number of unsubstantiated claims tying high-profile deaths to COVID-19 vaccines, to talk at his press convention.
“Governor DeSantis helps the strongest free speech safety for physicians in America,” Ward mentioned on the occasion. “I will probably be honored to be among the many freest docs, who care for the freest sufferers, within the freest state in America.”
Florida state Home Minority Chief Fentrice Driskell (D) later held a press convention of her personal and mentioned, “Effectively, that was bizarre.”
DeSantis is at the moment main former President Donald Trump in a number of polls of Republican voters and will effectively change into the celebration’s nominee for 2024 ― even when some consider he lacks allure.
Whether or not Florida’s Republican-held legislature will help making his insurance policies everlasting stays to be seen. As for his most obtrusive competitors, Trump informed the “Water Cooler” podcast Monday that he’ll “deal with” DeSantis “the best way I deal with issues” if the 2 go face to face.
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