In his speech, DeSantis advertises freedom, government surplus and disapproves of vaccination mandates and inflation
Gov. Ron DeSantis gave the Florida Legislature an overview of the events, tragedies and victories of the year and provided the framework for the future in his January 11 State of the State address.
DeSantis told lawmakers that over the past year, with their help, Florida has become the "freest state in the world. United States».
"Florida has become an escape hatch for those who suffer under authoritarian, arbitrary and seemingly endless orders and restrictions," the governor said. "While so many across the country have surrendered to the rights of the people, Florida has stood as the pioneering State of Freedom."
The governor said he had seen other states refuse to educate children because of "reckless, politically motivated school closures", while workers were laid off due to "orders" and freedoms were taken away due to a "forced biomedical mechanism".
"These unprecedented policies have been both ineffective and destructive," he said.
DeSantis told the 2022 legislative joint meeting that the State has a "strong performance" and has one of the "largest surpluses in the history of the State."
"Florida revenue has exceeded estimates by billions of dollars last year," he said. "All this is done without income tax and the lowest per capita tax burden in America."
DeSantis told the Legislature that economic performance "withstands national winds" such as inflation.
"Inflation is an invisible tax for our people," he said. "It represents a reduction in wages for individuals and families."
The governor then called on the Legislature to introduce a $ 1 billion tax cut on gas to "help lower prices".
After the speech, DeSantis received questions from reporters and added that Florida House was working on a package to help alleviate high pump prices.
"I think it's probably the No. 1 financial concern most people have," he said. "We are pleased to be working with this House on this."
DeSantis said training is "the pillar of Florida's future" and noted that Florida ranks third in K-12 training nationally, according to the latest Education Week Quality Counts.
"We have worked hard to keep schools open, increase teachers 'salaries, promote workforce education and protect parents' rights," he said.
Unlike other schools across the nation, school closures "will not be tolerated in the state of Florida," DeSantis said. He also asked the legislature to continue the $ 1.000 bonuses for teacher pay it introduced last year.
In a video response, U.S. Sen. Charlie Crist, the Democratic nominee for governor in 2022, said DeSantis "promotes a partisan agenda that makes the state poorer, sicker, and more divided than ever."
"Instead of facing the challenge of COVID-19, Ron DeSantis ignored it, allowing Florida to become the epicenter of the pandemic for months," Crist said in a video response.
Nikki Fried, the current Florida Agriculture Commissioner and Crist's opponent, said: "DeSantis is a politician who cares more about his ambitions than his voters, a governor who puts more effort into fighting a fake cultural war than help Florida Families and a dangerous authoritarian trying to emulate Donald Trump. "
During the speech, DeSantis promoted his legislative priorities, including a stricter Declaration of Parental Rights, which would allow parents to sue schools if they teach Critical Gender Theory (CRT).
He also called for salary increases for law enforcement and for the Legislature to tighten voting rights legislation in last year 's bill that reduced the number of ballots.
"It's the Orwellian double argument to invoke the concept of 'suffrage', which means collecting ballots, banning voter identity and financing elections by taxpayers," he said. "These are political perceptions that erode the integrity of our elections."
DeSantis called on the Legislature to "clean up the voter lists" and make sure that ballot papers would only go to those "who really want them", in an effort to give residents confidence that their vote matters ».
The governor proposed setting up an electoral integrity unit that would enforce Florida laws.
Other issues raised in his speech included the management of natural resources, and he reminded lawmakers that "records have been funded for research and safe technologies for mitigating blue-green algae and red tides" that continue to plague the state.
At the end of his speech, DeSantis paid tribute to the 98 people who lost their lives in the tragedy of the collapse of the Surfside building and said: "Do not take anything for granted and make the most of every day."
He reminded the legislature that they had "60 days to work together" to build on the "rock of freedom" and "seize the moment".
