MIAMI (WSVN) - Florida Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis made a South Florida stop this weekend to share his plans for the future of the Sunshine State.
DeSantis and Florida Lt. Gov.-elect Jeanette Nuñez’s thank-you tour brought them to the Jose Marti Gym along Southwest Third Street in Miami, Saturday afternoon.
“I have a lot of energy, and we’re going to put all we have into helping the people in this state,” said DeSantis as he spoke from the gym’s indoor basketball area.
DeSantis talked about health care, a day after a Texas court ruled the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional.
DeSantis said he has no plans to change anything long-term until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the legislation.
“I met with the head of [Health and Human Services] on Thursday in Washington, figuring out ways we could work with them to offer more affordable health coverage for people,” he said, “and I’m assuming I’m doing that within the context of current rules.”
The governor elect was asked about the importance of securing the Southern border. He said one of the nation’s deadliest drugs is smuggled through Mexico: opioids.
DeSantis said he’s serious about this dangerous and deadly issue.
“As governor, I’m going to be working on the opioid problem, and there’s different things you can do: treatment, holding people accountable here in Florida,” he said, “but, man, it’s a heck of a lot easier to deal with that if the fentanyl isn’t always coming across the Southern border, and that’s what’s happened. China makes it, they send it to Mexico, and then it gets brought in across the border.”
DeSantis briefly touched on the future of former Broward Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes. Current Florida Gov. Rick Scott suspended her from office, but she has since withdrawn her resignation.
Dr. Snipes’ tenure of running elections has been overshadowed by controversy, including ballot issues in this year’s midterm elections.
“I think she made the right decision by resigning. I’m not sure whether that resignation has been revoked, how that works lawfully,” said DeSantis, “so she may actually be gone before I take office, but I think having someone else in there is the right thing to do.”
DeSantis recently met with some of the families who lost their children and loved ones from the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He said he hopes to work with his new administration on new ways to hold leaders and law enforcement accountable to prevent another tragedy like this.
He also had something to say about Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, who came under heavy criticism in the wake of the massacre.
“Stay tuned. There’s going to be a report that is made public in the beginning of January from the commission that reviewed this whole incident, and I think that they’re going to point out the shortcomings,” said DeSantis, “and so we’ll look at that, and then see what steps need to be taken.”
DeSantis added that he hopes the commission’s report uncovers why so many warning signs were missed with confessed shooter Nikolas Cruz and his troubled past.
The governor elect will be sworn in Jan. 8.
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