A second term for Ron DeSantis promises to be a disaster for Florida as the Governor looks set to double down on his extreme agenda to strip Floridians’ freedoms in an effort to beat Donald Trump to the Republican nomination for President in 2024.
“During his first term Ron DeSantis made Florida more expensive, housing less affordable, and corporate industries richer while distracting Floridians with divisive culture wars. His second term promises more of the same,” said Florida Democratic Party press secretary Gricel Gonzalez. “DeSantis heads into the next legislative session threatening to further strip women’s freedom to make their own health care decisions and make public spaces in Florida less safe by making it easy for criminals to carry guns. Instead of catering to corporate interests and trying to boost his presidential profile, DeSantis should take action on behalf of working Floridians who are struggling to make ends meet.”
Near-total abortion ban with no exceptions
One of the first items on DeSantis’ agenda will be to fulfill his plan to enact a complete abortion ban in Florida with no exceptions for rape or incest - building on the extreme ban that he signed during his first term that forced a teenage survivor of incest to escape his laws in order to make her own healthcare decisions.
DeSantis and Republicans in the Legislature are already plotting behind closed doors to fully eliminate women’s reproductive freedom and bring Florida in line with the most extreme abortion bans in the country. In addition to restricting reproductive rights, DeSantis has used divisive culture wars to ban books and erode Floridians’ freedoms.
Miami Herald: “Supercharged by a supermajority in the House and Senate, Florida legislative leaders broke their silence Wednesday and confirmed they are prepared to discuss further abortion restrictions in Florida in the next year.”
Skyrocketing housing and property insurance costs
As insurance companies go insolvent, Florida homeowners are getting crushed by rising insurance costs - now more than three times the national average - and climbing.
Unfortunately, DeSantis’ previous efforts to lower costs amounted mostly to a handout to his insurance industry pals and donors. And there’s little reason to think the next legislative session will be any different.
Handouts to billionaire donors and big business
Meanwhile, everything DeSantis has done has been with one goal in mind - courting billionaire mega-donors to fund his run for President. Already, DeSantis has the financial backing of more than 40 billionaireswho get special treatment from a Governor who is leaving working Floridians behind.
DeSantis has also given special treatment to the corporate interests that fund his campaigns - just look at how he let Florida Power & Light raise rates on consumers by $5 billion after they lined his pockets with more than $3 million.
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