He is trying to boost his stock with Republican supporters. presumptive presidential candidateFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis this year ticked off many items on a far-right wish list, including abortion rights, transsexual care for minors, and laws restricting sexual orientation education.
Expanding the death penalty and who in his state can carry a concealed firearm? check. Targeting Disney? check.
And the requirement to resign as governor to run for president could soon be removed as well.
The bill-signing frenzy and culture wars agenda have laid the groundwork for DeSantis’s candidacy as he seeks to establish himself as a viable replacement for the Republican front-runner and former ally, former President Donald J. Trump. built. .
Here are the bills DeSantis signed into law this year:
6 weeks abortion ban
In April, Mr. DeSantis signed into law: ban abortion after 6 weeks of pregnancyFlorida has one of the toughest reproductive rights states in the nation. As a result, the state is no longer a destination for women from across the Deep South seeking abortions.
Following last year’s Supreme Court decision Roe vs. Wade Ace Attorney, Republicans used an overwhelming majority in the Florida legislature to push the bill. that is, 15 weeks abortion ban DeSantis signed in April 2022, before the country’s high court abandoned 50 years of precedent on abortion.
But unlike previous bans that DeSantis pushed for by signing bills in churches, he introduced a six-week ban in his office late at night without public notice, except for groups of supporters who attended. bottom.
The law includes exceptions for rape, incest and saving the mother’s life. It will not go into effect until the Florida Supreme Court decides. Challenging the 15-Week Limit.
Prohibition of Transitional Care for Minors
In mid-May, while he was finalizing his candidacy for president, Mr. DeSantis signed the bill into law. Make transsexual care for minors illegal Restrictions to Adults, the Latest Action of the Year by Republicans Aimed at Florida’s LGBTQ community.
It imposes prison sentences of up to five years for doctors who violate the ban, and requires adults seeking reassignment care to sign a consent form.
Teaching “identity politics,” a long-held focus of right-wing Republicans, is legally banned in public institutions, which also weakens tenure protections.
In March, DeSantis gave conservatives another trophy. Creating a Universal School Voucher Program. Critics say the $8,000 annual stipend per student It will undermine public schools and make wealthy families even wealthier. Because there are no income limits.
capital punishment
Abortion wasn’t the only issue Florida has turned sharply to the right this year. The death penalty was another matter.
In April, Mr. DeSantis signed a bill that: The standard for imposing the death penalty would be greatly reduced. A unanimous vote of 12 jurors is no longer required to pass a death sentence. An eight-to-four majority is sufficient under the new law, but is expected to face legal challenges from criminal justice reform groups.
Most of the 27 states that allow the death penalty require a unanimous jury vote. Alabama is one exception, where a 10-2 majority is sufficient. In Indiana and Missouri, a judge will decide if the jury gets stuck.
Republicans pushed for an extension of the death penalty after a jury last year sentenced a man to life in prison for the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17 people. Nine out of twelve jurors voted. for the death penalty.
concealed carry
At about the same time as the Super PAC supporting Mr. DeSantis was launched, Labeling Trump a ‘gun grabber’ The governor signed a law in April that read: Allows Floridians to carry concealed weapons without permission.
Starting July 1, gun owners will no longer be required to pass safety courses and background checks. This is a departure from calls for tighter gun control in the state following the 2018 shootings in Parkland and the 2016 Orlando Pulse nightclub. .
Mr. DeSantis and his allies have tried to criticize Mr. Trump for being soft on the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and the super PAC called the former president “coward-like” on gun rights when he was in the White House. truncated to .
Disney Supervision and Immigration
in the escalation Hostility between Mr. DeSantis and DisneyThe governor, who has become the personification of a Republican-awakened culture, signed a series of bills targeting the company’s autonomy over the special tax districts that are home to the company and Disney World.
The move, which Republicans and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement argued was necessary for security reasons, has prompted questions about who will pay for Mr. DeSantis’ travel expenses and how he will divide his time as governor and presidential candidate. A veil of secrecy is created.
Even Trump has been stubborn on the issue, saying in a campaign statement in April that he was not transparent about how much taxes DeSantis is spending on travel.
Yet another bill, entwined with Mr. DeSantis’ political ambitions, is awaiting his signature.it immediately remove the requirement to resign as governor to run for president. You may not even need a pen. Automatically enabled without a signature.
Report contributors: Nicholas Nehamas, Patricia Matsey, Trip Gabriel, Nick Colasanity and brooks burns.
