Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has taken drastic measures to combat COVID-19’s…drastic measures. In a news conference in St. Petersburg, FL, DeSantis said “I think folks that are saying they need to be policing people at this point, if you’re saying that, then you’re really saying you don’t believe in the vaccines.”
Therefore, the Governor suspended all local COVID-19 emergency orders by executive order. He also signed a law restricting what governors and mayors can do during pandemics. The Orlando Sentinel reports:
According to SB 2006, which DeSantis signed, any emergency orders could only last as long as 42 days. It also gives the governor the authority to overrule cities and counties at any time, and city and county commissions the power to overrule mayors.
The law grants the Legislature power to overrule any emergency mandates or restrictions by the governor, which DeSantis implied was to prevent future Democratic governors from issuing restrictions Republican Legislatures don’t like.
Speaking about other Democratic-led states such as Governor Gavin Newsom in California, DeSantis said, “I think the Legislature looked and said, ‘Well, okay, what if we were in a California Situation? What would the Legislature’s ability be?’ And so, they put safeguards for the people of Florida.”
The Bill takes effect on July 1, which also bans businesses from requiring “vaccination passports” and forbids businesses from requiring proof of vaccination against COVID for entrance. As for masks, businesses can still require them. DeSantis said the law will not affect mask requirements “in terms of what a supermarket [chooses] to do, or a Disney theme park.”
Source: OrlandoSentinel.com
DeSantis Attacked by Media for Prioritizing COVID Vaccines for Elderly
Given all that we know about COVID-19 and the severe risk it poses to the elderly population, it should not be controversial that a governor has chosen to give senior citizens in his state priority for getting the coronavirus vaccine.
Only, it’s a Republican governor, so that changes everything. Now, it’s racist and a scheme to obtain votes for reelection.
Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida said his administration was focusing vaccine efforts on “communities that had high levels of seniors.”
In response, an NBC News headline stated: “Florida governor accused of playing politics with Covid vaccine.”
CBS News decried the plan: “The zip codes are two of the county’s wealthiest and whitest,”
The Washington Post noted: “Ron DeSantis (R) unveiled a ‘pop-up’ clinic offering coveted coronavirus vaccines in an affluent, mostly White part of Manatee County.”
“How has he played politics with the coronavirus vaccine?,” writes BizPacReview, “By zeroing in his state’s vaccine coronavirus efforts on communities that contain a large number of seniors, regardless of race, gender and other immutable traits.”
BizPacReview writes:
According to NBC News, the true reason why DeSantis picked these zip codes is that senior citizens are “one of Florida’s most potent voting blocs.”
The left-wing outlet also complained that, by vaccinating seniors first, the governor had violated the CDC’s extremely controversial original vaccine distribution guidelines.
So, why is it the media are attacking DeSantis with such furor over a logical plan to vaccinate the most at-risk population first?
BizPac speculates it has nothing to do with science and everything to do with taking the heat off off New York Governor Andrew Cuomo:
Overall, this seems like yet another non-scandal scandal about DeSantis. But why? And why now? The theory from some observers is that the media is trying to distract from the real scandal threatening to engulf New York Gov. Cuomo.
The media is actually outraged that Ron DeSantis is making it easier for elderly people to get vaccinated in Florida
Maybe if he put sick patients into nursing homes, leading to thousands of deaths, and then covered it up he could get positive press—even an Emmy, perhaps?
????
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 21, 2021
DeSantis Signs Bill To Keep Florida Businesses Safe From 'Frivolous COVID-19' Lawsuits
Florida businesses and health care centers will now be protected against frivolous coronavirus lawsuits with a new bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday.
Although lawsuits that are still determined to be credible will have the ability to proceed, Bill SB 72 will specify requirements for lawsuits alleging virus-related damages and “deter unfounded lawsuits against individuals, businesses, health care providers, and other entities.”
“Today I was pleased to sign SB 72 to protect Florida’s businesses and health care providers against frivolous COVID-19 lawsuits,” the Republican governor, who was one of the first state leaders to completely open his state amid the pandemic, leaving regulatory decisions up to local leaders and individual entities, tweeted Monday.
He added that the legislation “protects the livelihoods of Floridians.”
The law notes that health care workers “must be able to remain focused on serving the health care needs of their respective communities and not on the potential for unfounded lawsuits.”
Thank you to President @WiltonSimpson, Speaker @ChrisSprowls and members of the Florida Legislature for answering my call and quickly passing this legislation that protects the livelihoods of Floridians.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 29, 2021
The Florida Chamber of Commerce pointed out that certain legal actions “may seem reasonable” in the midst of COVID-19, but people “may attempt to construe these actions differently in hindsight when calm is restored.”
Similar language in the bill, backed by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, applies to businesses and other entities. The legislation adds that while certain legal actions “may seem reasonable” amid COVID-19, people “may attempt to construe these actions differently in hindsight when calm is restored.”
“One of our top priorities since day one of the pandemic, with your signature, [Florida]’s job creators no longer have to fear frivolous lawsuits as we continue relaunching [Flordia]’s economy,” the state’s Chamber of Commerce tweeted Monday.
We also thank @WiltonSimpson, @ChrisSprowls, & @JimmyPatronis for making these common-sense protections a top priority at the Capitol this session.
— Florida Chamber (@FlChamber) March 29, 2021
