Florida Governor Ron DeSantis touted many of the conservative policy victories and personal legislative victories in a speech Monday. The speech took place during the closing of the 2022 Florida legislative session. The session, this year, had been described as a “culture war” and DeSantis and Florida’s Republicans passed a number of priorities.
One of the hallmarks was DeSantis dubbing this year’s session as “year of the parent in the state of Florida.”
“We took — through the legislature’s actions, Florida has maintained its commitment to accountability and high standards but did it in a way that recognizes, this one test, the FSA, is not the best way to do it,” DeSantis said, referencing Florida’s recently approved overhaul of standardized testing requirements.
DeSantis also said that he was proud of the legislative effort to reinforce parents’ rights in education and prevent the “sexualized” indoctrination in early childhood education.
“And I’m really, really proud to do that. And I can just say, as the parent of three kids that are age 5 and under, thank you for letting me and my wife be able to send our kids to kindergarten without them being sexualized,” he said.
The governor continued and doubled-down on his support for the bill while subtly referencing a recent spat with Disney over the popularized “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
“People actually said that if you don’t have classroom instruction on sexual matters in grades K-3, that somehow businesses don’t want to be in Florida?” DeSantis said. “I think people need to get out of their bubble and actually talk to parents.”
GOV. DESANTIS: "People actually said that if you don't have classroom instruction on sexual matters in grades K-3, that somehow businesses don't want to be in Florida? I think people need to get out of their bubble and actually talk to parents." pic.twitter.com/rZKgYK9SBt
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 14, 2022
While supporting numerous efforts to recruit and retain law enforcement officers in Florida, DeSantis lauded the legislative’s efforts “to leave no doubt that this is the best law and order state in the entire country” and that “we never bought into the canard of defunding law enforcement in the state of Florida.”
DeSantis still has the ability to issue a line-item veto, a privilege constitutionally afforded the sitting governor. After the vetoes, then DeSantis would sign the budget into law.
Governor DeSantis closes out the 2022 Legislative Session. https://t.co/B3zfI7EAED
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 14, 2022
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Grant Holcomb is a reporter at The Florida Capital Star and The Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
Photo “Ron DeSantis” by Ron DeSantis.
