TALLAHASSEE, FLA. (WSVN) - A number of controversial bills will be discussed in the state capital as the legislative session kicks off Tuesday, and it begins with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ state of the state speech that will offer a glimpse at his agenda — for the country — if and when he launches a 2024 presidential run.
Until then, there have been more than a thousand bills that have been filed and many of them are sparking heated debate.
“Freedom lives here, in our great Sunshine State of Florida,” said DeSantis back in January.
“He makes people feel OK about being angry and enraged,” said Democratic State Sen. Jason Pizzo of Aventura.
“Florida is where ‘woke’ goes to die,” said DeSantis in that January speech.
“With all of this Culture War nonsense, we’re wasting everybody’s time,” said Democratic State Rep. Fentrice Driskell of Tampa.
So begins a legislative session that will likely foment further divisions: parental rights in education, transgender rights, abortion restrictions and possible extension of gun rights.
First up, House Bill 1223, prohibits discussion of sexual identity and gender up to grade 8 and forbids school staff from calling anyone by a pronoun that does not correspond with their sex.
“Now you got ‘Don’t Say Gay 2.0:’ ‘Don’t Say They.’ Let’s make sure people can pay their light bill,” said Democratic State Sen. Lauren Book of Plantation.
“We addressed this issue in the previous legislative session with children from kindergarten through third grade,” said Republican State Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez of Doral, “which I think is appropriate. I voted yes for that. I don’t know that it would be proper to limit it to young adults or college-bound. I think at some point it’s safe, and it should be OK to have those kinds of conversations.”
And there’s House Bill 1421, which would eliminate transitional-related care such as hormone therapy and puberty blockers for those under 18 and regulate that care for adults. It would also not allow a transgender individual to change their Florida birth certificate.
The sponsor of this bill, Palm Bay Republican Rep. Randy Fine, shared the following tweet on Friday:
“This Florida Legislature is creating some real challenges for rights and freedoms for some of our residents,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniela Levine Cava.
Senate Bill 254 would allow the state to take custody of children who are “at risk of seeking gender-affirming care.”
“This kind of legislation is so invasive,” said Democratic State Rep. Kelly Skidmore of Boca Raton. “It is so personal.”
Then there’s House Bill 543, a school safety bill that includes a provision of what’s called Constitutional carry, allowing gun owners to carry a concealed weapon without a permit.
On Monday, local officials spoke out against the provision.
“I am strongly against permitless carry as a citizen of the state of Florida, but even more so as a law enforcement professional who cares and who gives a darn about the men and women who are out their in South Florida with a badge on,” said David Magnusson, a retired Miami-Dade Police Chief.
“Violence occurs in many forms and many fashions,” said Rodriguez, “not just with firearms. I think that when a person wants to commit a crime, they’ll find a way to do it, and it won’t always be with a firearm. Unfortunately, I think a lot of the problems that we’re seeing today exacerbate from mental health issues.”
Also expect a renewed battle to further abortion restrictions, and after the intense criticism of the Nikolas Cruz sentencing, expect moves to make it easier for a jury to recommend the death penalty.
“If Nikolas Cruz wasn’t sentenced to death, then who is going to be sentenced to death?” said Hunter Pollack, brother of Parkland shooting victim Meadow Pollack, “so I’m here in support of this bill. We need real changes, and I think it will be a real deterrent of crime.”
Attempts to revise the new flood insurance requirements for Citizens Insurance customers and a move to strengthen penalties for homeowners associations who engage in fraud are other bills on the docket.
Lawmakers have been working in committees for weeks but the session will begin on Tuesday morning. At 11 a.m., DeSantis will be delivering his State of the State address.
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