Governor DeSantis did such a good job flipping the voter registrations in Florida that we’re in danger of being Wyoming-ized… where sleazy politicians run with an R just to get elected when they don’t actually believe in limited government, individual rights, or anything else in the party platform. The poster child for this was Senate President Kathleen Passidomo who started the session by saying no gun bills would be considered in the senate. Florida House Speaker Paul Renner wasn’t much better and the results of the 2024 session show (see our update here). Not a single bill we tracked strengthening individual rights or medical freedom was passed… most didn’t even have recorded votes so we can’t hold the politicians accountable.
Here’s a list of bills signed by DeSantis this week:
HB 1301 – Department of Transportation
HB 5203 – Property Seized by the Florida Gaming Control Commission
HB 7043 – A Review Under the Open Government Sunset Review Act/Agency Personnel Information
CS/CS/HB 883 – Short-acting Bronchodilator Use in Public and Private Schools
HB 523 – Florida Seal of Fine Arts Program
CS/CS/HB 217 – College Campus Facilities in Areas of Critical State Concern
CS/HB 801 – Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia Training for Law Enforcement and Correctional Officers
CS/CS/HB 1491 – Public Records/Investigations by the Department of Legal Affairs
SB 46 – Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic Excellence Program
SB 304 – Household Moving Services
CS/SB 7008 – A Review Under the Open Government Sunset Review Act/Department of the Lottery
CS/SB 676 – Food Delivery Platforms (sponsored by Sen. Jennifer Bradley)
Last week he signed HB 583, which allows for the purchase and sale of wine in glass containers up to 15 liters. Truly, pivotal, society-saving legislation.
At least there was one good bill was signed last week: HB 621 protects residential property owners from squatters.
Redistricting Maps Upheld
If you’ve listened to Daniel for any amount of time, you’ve likely heard him talk about the dangerous myth of judicial supremacy. Despite all the praise for Governor DeSantis, Florida still treads these dangerous waters. Last week, we dodged a bullet when a 3-judge panel upheld Florida’s 2022 congressional redistricting maps.
https://alachuachronicle.com/florida-congressional-redistricting-maps-upheld-in-federal-court
Dangerous Rhetoric
Every mainstream media outlet seems obligated to channel TDS and push narratives on “threats to democracy,” but they’re all having conniptions after RFK Jr said Biden is a “much worse threat to democracy.”
Expect the rhetoric and gaslighting to keep heating up into November and, more importantly, keep an eye out for local politicians playing games with the ballot to enshrine more power.
In Alachua County, former county commissioner Robert “Hutch” Hutchinson wants the existing Commission to consider whether it’s “possible to do a special election on an issue. And do that by mail-out ballot… Can you do a Charter amendment by Special Election mail-out ballots?”
Not to be outdone in the slimy politicians awards, Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward took steps to decrease transparency by reversing a Feb 22 decision to make all completed public records requests searchable by the public.
You can be that no matter how bad you think politicians are, the reality is worse.
2025 Session Input Starts in September
We need to get better organized, propose legislation and find like-minded legislators to push our agenda. The “listening” tours start in September before formal committee meetings begin in the fall and the session starts next year. If you want to volunteer to be on the team, please let me now. We need to start early if we want to influence the process instead of just be disappointed with it after the fact.