TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s Republican-controlled House moved forward on Tuesday with measures to prevent the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate on businesses with more than 100 employees.
The Florida Republicans’ position remains that President Joe Biden’s administration is abusing its federal authority.
“We are being faced as a state with a federal overreach,” said State Rep Daniel Perez, a Republican from Miami.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has opposed all coronavirus pandemic-related mandates as public health measures saying his priority is to protect personal freedoms.
“My goal bottom line on this special session is, no Floridian should be losing their job over COVID shots,” DeSantis said during a news conference.
The new legislation would force businesses in Florida to allow a list of exemptions on the vaccine and allow parents to file lawsuits against school districts over face mask mandates.
“We may not support the overall bill but if we can make it better, we’re going to try to make it better. They are not even willing to hear our amendments to try and do that,” said State Rep Dan Daley, a Democrat from Coral Springs.
All of the amendments failed. The House vote is on Wednesday. To Fred Guttenberg, the father of a victim in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Senior High School 2018 massacre, being there was a waste of time. He wants legislators to pass Jaime’s Law to require background checks on ammunition sales.
“I think this session is a complete waste of time, a waste of money, and voter and taxpayers are funding this theater,” Guttenberg said.