DeSantis swerves back to Florida to tell legislators to 'stay the course'

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday opened up Florida’s annual session with a stripped-down State of the State speech that was one-part presidential campaign messaging and a recitation of some of his signature policies over the last several years.

DeSantis, who returned to Tallahassee from the campaign trail just days before the Iowa caucuses, gave his annual address even as severe weather bore down on Florida’s Panhandle. A tornado warning sounded loudly on lawmakers’ phones a little more than a half-hour before the Republican governor began his speech and every state government building — except the Capitol — was closed due to the storm threat.

Unlike past years, when DeSantis was gearing up for a 2024 presidential run, the governor didn’t lay out a lengthy wish list he wanted from his GOP allies. He also didn’t address in depth some of the state’s persistent problems that revolve around affordability or property insurance. Instead, during his 35-minute speech, he reiterated some of his ongoing budget priorities such as increasing teacher pay and spending more on the environment.

“My message is simple: stay the course,” DeSantis told legislators. “The state of our state is strong. Let’s keep doing what works. Let’s continue to make Florida the envy of the nation.”

DeSantis launched his presidential campaign last year with heavy support from Florida Republican legislators, who tried to give him a boost by passing contentious bills during the 2023 session on guns, gender orientation, abortion and education that he has touted on the trail to GOP primary voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and beyond.

But his campaign has failed to gain traction and DeSantis finds himself still behind former President Donald Trump, according to multiple polls. Monday’s Iowa caucuses are seen as a make-or-break moment for his struggling candidacy even though DeSantis has recently vowed to keep campaigning after Iowa regardless of the results.

The governor used his State of the State speech to highlight some of the same campaign talking points he has been making to Iowa voters, including his persistent criticisms of President Joe Biden on immigration and border security. DeSantis, who debated California Gov. Gavin Newsom in November, ripped into several blue states, including New York and Illinois, over crime and spending.

“It is not surprising that we have witnessed — and continue to witness — a great migration of Americans away from cities and states pursuing these failed policies, with Florida serving as a refuge for freedom and sanity,” DeSantis said.

Democrats blasted DeSantis’ speech as a tired rehash of the past and faulted the governor for not spelling out a “vision” for the future. They contended the address was more about trying to prop up his presidential campaign instead of helping Floridians.

“There was a storm that closed schools and we were forced to come here for this,” said state Rep. Fentrice Driskell, the House Democratic leader. “It was like he was scraping the bottom of the barrel for things to talk about."

State Rep. Sam Garrison, a top House Republican, defended the governor’s address that focused on the governor’s record over the last five years. He said it was a recognition that this year’s session would be more “member driven” instead of the 2023 session, which was dominated by DeSantis’ legislative agenda.

State Rep. Randy Fine, who had a dust-up with the governor after he switched his endorsement in the presidential race from DeSantis to Trump, said the governor “did a great job describing the amazing policies devised and passed by the Legislature to make Florida the best state in America.”

Still, it appears that the 2024 session will instead revolve around the top priorities of House Speaker Paul Renner and Senate President Kathlenalen Passidomo — not what the governor wants.

Passidomo wants to push through a health care overhaul designed to increase the number of doctors and other medical professionals, while Renner on Tuesday called for the Legislature to put in new laws that would require age verification for adult websites and put restrictions on when minors could use social media sites. Several other states have put in similar age verification laws.

“We will take bold steps like age verification to rescue our children from technology that cripples their sense of self-worth and purpose,” Renner said. “Similarly, where pornography is concerned, the rules for adults cannot be the same for children. We cannot stand by and allow children to access hardcore pornography, and we plan to do something about it.”

During her remarks, Passidomo pushed back forcefully against repeated Democratic overtures to expand Medicaid eligibility as allowed under Obamacare.

“I’m not going to spend the next 60 days re-litigating Medicaid expansion,” the Naples Republican said. “Medicaid expansion is not going to happen. It is not a quick fix. It is not a panacea. In fact, if you cannot actually schedule an appointment with a health care provider, Medicaid Expansion is nothing more than a false government promise.”