Freedom Is Under Assault in DeSantis’s Florida

While perhaps never a liberal state, Florida never seemed hell bent to be more backward and reactionary than states like Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas where ignorance and backwardness aew now celebrated (40 years ago, Alabama was more progressive than today). Now under Ron DeSantis and the Republican controled Florida legislature,  abortion is banned after 6 weeks - DeSantis jist signed the bill - and effectively illegal, freedom of the press is under assault, and gay, blacks and undocumented immigrants are the targets of censorship and state sponsored inhumane treatment. All of these attacks on freedom are being ushered in as DeSantis moves towards announcing his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.  In some ways DeSantis is just as frightening an individual as Donald Trump.  He has no regard for the rights of those he sees as not supporting his fascist agenda and seemingly has an equally crazed ego. Florida is now a case study of why Republicans should never be allowed control a state much less the federal government.  One has to wonder when Floridians will wake up to the nightmare they have brought on themselves and realize that other than unresticted gun ownership, their rights have been stripped away.  A main editorial in the Washington Post looks at Florida, now one of the least free states in America,  DeSantis must be stopped.  Here are editorial highlights:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) describes his state as “a citadel of freedom,” “freedom’s linchpin” and “freedom’s vanguard.” He titled his memoir “The Courage to Be Free” and called his budget a “Framework for Freedom.” In his State of the State address last month, he said: “We find ourselves in Florida on the front lines in the battle for freedom.”

The ongoing 60-day state legislative session in Tallahassee, which Mr. DeSantis is treating as a springboard to announce a presidential bid, shows the hollowness of his rhetoric.

Backed by GOP supermajorities in both chambers, Mr. DeSantis is waging frontal assaults on press freedom, reproductive freedom, free enterprise and academic freedom. Meanwhile, in the name of protecting gun rights, he has scaled back prudent safety rules. And now he’s poised to target undocumented immigrants, including “dreamers," with what will be some of the cruelest policies in America.

All of this should give pause to those looking to Mr. DeSantis as an alternative to the toxicity of Trumpism. Let’s look at some of Mr. DeSantis’s efforts to undercut freedom:

Freedom of the press

Mr. DeSantis wants to make it easy to successfully sue journalists who quote anonymous sources. The governor has set his sights on overturning a 59-year-old Supreme Court precedent in Times v. Sullivan, which requires plaintiffs suing for defamation to prove an outlet acted with “actual malice” when publishing erroneous information about a public figure. The governor is pushing a bill that would create the presumption under the law that any information attributed to an unnamed source is false.

This would have a chilling effect on whistleblowers and make it harder to hold corrupt government officials accountable. . . . .The measure would encourage venue shopping by trial lawyers whose clients want to harass journalists. It could also expose small newspapers, local TV stations, bloggers, talk-radio hosts, YouTubers and even online commenters to crippling liability. Even DeSantis admirers in right-wing media have mobilized against the measure.

Freedom to choose

Last year, Mr. DeSantis signed a ban on abortion after 15 weeks without exceptions for rape or incest. Apparently, that wasn’t extreme enough. He has since signaled support for legislation, passed by both houses of the legislature, which would outlaw abortion after six weeks of gestation and make Florida one of the most restrictive states in the country.

Free enterprise

Mr. DeSantis tried to build a better mousetrap. After Disney — the employer of 75,000 Floridians — publicly opposed one of his education policies, the governor retaliated by removing the company’s power to self-govern the land around Walt Disney World in the Orlando area. He dissolved a special tax zone that existed since 1967 and named a new board to oversee the land. But before Mr. DeSantis’s handpicked appointees took over this year, the outgoing board passed a series of covenants to tie their hands.

Last week, Mr. DeSantis ordered an inspector general to investigate the former board, and his attorney general is trying to find ways to invalidate the covenants. The governor floated hiking taxes on Disney-owned hotels, imposing tolls on roads into its theme parks and exploring other pressure points. “Ultimately, we’re going to win on every single issue involving Disney,” said Mr. DeSantis.

This hostility to the actions of private corporations repudiates what conservatives used to stand for. But it’s part of a pattern. Mr. DeSantis outlawed cruise lines from asking passengers on their own ships to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. He signed a law to impose daily fines up to $250,000 on social media companies that deplatform candidates for office in his state for any reason.

The freedom to teach and learn

The attacks on Disney started after the company criticized what critics have branded the “don’t say gay” law, which restricts classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade. The legislature is expected to pass an updated law expanding the prohibition through eighth grade. Meanwhile, the governor is using administrative powers to try banning these subjects from being taught in any grade.

Mr. DeSantis also signed a law last year limiting how teachers can talk about race. Instructors are barred from suggesting students should feel guilty about racist acts perpetrated by earlier generations. The DeSantis administration announced in January that Florida won’t recognize the Advanced Placement African American studies course.

State efforts to undermine local control of education also have contributed to a frenzy of book banning, which Mr. DeSantis falsely called a hoax. A proposal under consideration in the legislature would essentially give a heckler’s veto over what’s taught and available in school libraries. Mr. DeSantis also continues to challenge academic freedom in higher education.

Meanwhile, there is at least one area where Mr. DeSantis has expanded individual rights — albeit in violation of common sense. He signed a bill this month that allows Floridians to carry concealed handguns without a permit, safety training or background check.

One of the cruelest steps Mr. DeSantis plans to take in the coming weeks to bolster his presidential bona fides is a crackdown on undocumented immigrants. He wants to require hospitals to collect data on the immigration status of patients, which would deter people from seeking needed medical care. Another measure under consideration would make it a felony to shelter, hire or transport any undocumented immigrant. Advocates say this could criminalize a lawyer driving a client to court or an American citizen letting a parent live with them. Landlords could face legal jeopardy for tenants who have an undocumented housekeeper or nanny.

Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for Mr. DeSantis, says Mr. DeSantis is fighting to keep Florida “free from things like" critical race theory; diversity, equity and inclusion programs; and “medical authoritarianism that can force ineffective covid vaccines on people.”

Now Mr. DeSantis wants to go national. He promises to “Make America Florida.” If the bullying coming out of Tallahassee is an indication of what that means, we think most Americans won’t want what he is offering.