Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) reportedly recommended a permanent prohibition on COVID-19 restrictions in the state on Tuesday, ranging from mask requirements in classrooms to the use of vaccination passports.
DeSantis’ proposal, dubbed “Prescribe Freedom,” asks the Republican-controlled state legislature to make Florida’s bans on COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates in schools and government permanent, as well as prohibitions on private employers enacting mask mandates or hiring and firing based on vaccination status.
The governor signed the current prohibitions at a special session of the state legislature last year, and the move to strengthen them comes ahead of an expiration date scheduled for June.
The current proposal claims that making the prohibitions permanent will safeguard Floridians’ right to disagree with the medical community’s chosen narrative and allow for more religious viewpoints.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, DeSantis has positioned himself as a staunch opponent of government measures and pandemic limitations.
Because he distrusts the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida’s governor asked for a grand jury inquiry into potential crimes and misconduct using COVID-19 vaccinations in the state last month and established Florida’s own Public Health Integrity Committee (CDC).
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