Politics & Government

Florida Legislature is moving quickly on DeSantis priorities

WUSF | By Associated Press

Published March 27, 2023 at 9:10 AM EDT

The approval came after DeSantis on Dec. 13 submitted a request that alleged “there are good and sufficient reasons to deem it to be in the public interest to impanel a statewide grand jury to investigate criminal or wrongful activity in Florida relating to the development, promotion, and distribution of vaccines purported to prevent COVID-19 infection, symptoms, and transmission.”

From expanding gun rights to going after “woke” investors, the Florida Legislature is quickly moving on a list of bills that will give Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis conservative-pleasing policy successes as he prepares to launch a presidential campaign.

The usually slow-moving Legislature ended the week by sending DeSantis bills to shield businesses and insurance companies from lawsuits, allow any Floridian to get a government-paid voucher for private schools and an affordable housing bill that prevents local governments from enacting rent control ordinances.

“We have a lot of the governor’s priorities in a really good spot. We’ll pass them,” House Speaker Paul Renner said Friday as lawmakers went home for the weekend. “We’re moving quickly ... Some of what the governor has proposed is monumental and good, and we support it 100%.”

That will give DeSantis more time to boast about successes while avoiding any perception of infighting if his priorities are held hostage until the closing moments of session.

When the 60-day session opened, DeSantis predicted his priorities would pass quickly.

“They are mindful that it’s probably better not to have kind of an eight-car pileup the last week of session where the whole agenda gets through in the last 72 hours,” DeSantis said. “I think you’re going to see more earlier.”