Fights Over Vaccines, Riots, Voting Mark 2021 Legislative Session

TALLAHASSEE, FL — There were wins and losses on both sides of the aisle, accompanied by civil debate and some not-so-civil name-calling over the past four months. In the end, the Florida Legislature concluded the 2021 Legislative Session by passing 270 bills and a $101.5 billion budget.

In the traditional Sine Die Ceremony at the Florida Capitol, Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, marked the end of the session Friday, joined by Gov. Ron DeSantis and House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor.

“None of us who stood here at the end of last session could have predicted what the people of our state and nation have endured over the last year," Simpson said. "The pandemic has robbed us of mothers, fathers, friends and neighbors. Families and business across our state are still feeling these impacts each and every day."

For members of the Florida House and Senate, the hard part is over. The rest is up to DeSantis who has a stack of bills waiting for his stamp of approval. Some that were championed by the governor are expected to be swiftly sign into law. Others could receive the governor's veto stamp.

Related: Law Bans FL Vaccine Passports, DeSantis Suspends COVID Orders

Election Reform

Among them is the controversial election reform bill presented to the governor Monday. Among other things, Senate Bill 90 limits mail-in ballots and requires that candidates and special interest groups keep their distance from voters waiting to cast their ballots.

Similar to a highly debated bill passed by the Georgia Legislature, the bill would discourage the mass mailing of vote-by-mail ballots by requiring additional requirements for voters requesting mail-in ballots and restricting the use of drop boxes for mail-in ballots. The bill also prevents candidates and special interest groups from passing out water, pizza and other perks to voters waiting in lines at the polls by increasing the legal distance between voters and watchers.

See related stories:

• Mass Mailings Of FL Ballots Outlawed Under DeSantis Election Bill
• FL Bill Would Ban Campaigns From Giving Voters Water At Polls

Big Tech Censorship

Another bill publicly espoused by DeSantis is the so-called big tech censorship bill launched after Twitter banned former President Donald Trump's tweets.

DeSantis became more adamant about the bill's passage after YouTube deleted a video of a roundtable meeting he hosted to discuss the coronavirus, claiming it contained "misinformation."

See related stories:

• FL Legislative Session Begins With Big Tech, Climate Bills
• After YouTube Removal, DeSantis Hosts Second COVID-19 Roundtable

Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, filed the legislation that would prevent what he calls an encroachment on First Amendment rights to free speech.

"It seems to me that the government explicitly has granted Facebook, Twitter and others immunity under federal law," said Burgess. "As publishers of third-party content, they should not be allowed to discriminate based on content and ban individuals just because they do not agree with their viewpoint. This bill signals to social media websites that, regardless of a person's background, political history, religion, race, gender or any other identifying measure, Twitter and Facebook cannot be the sole judge, jury and executioner on America's First Amendment rights."

Anti-Riot Bill

Another bill that divided the House and Senate down party lines is the so-called anti-riot bill, which emerged in response to the Jan. 6 siege on Washington, D.C., to combat violence, disorder and looting during public protests.

"While as Americans we all have a right to peacefully assemble, violence or rioting of any kind is not acceptable and will not be tolerated in the state of Florida," DeSantis said. "I look forward to working with House Speaker Sprowls and Senate President Simpson to swiftly pass this bill during the upcoming Legislative Session so that we may protect the rule of law in our great state."

Black Democrats, however, decried the bill as an attempt to limit free speech and the right to peaceful assemblies.

Sen. Bobby Powell, chairman of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus, D-West Palm Beach, called it "a smoke screen for control measures aimed solely at peaceful protestors in Florida who sought nothing more than the basic civil rights and human dignity guaranteed to all people under the Constitution"

Nevertheless, calling it a common-sense law, DeSantis signed the bill April 19, putting it in effect immediately.

“Just think about it. You’re driving home from work, and all of a sudden, you have people out there shutting down a highway,” DeSantis said. “They start to do that, there needs to be swift penalties.”

Transgender Athletes

The governor has also stated that he will sign Senate Bill 2012, a controversial bill that will ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports at the high school and college levels.

Transgender female athletes would be limited to playing coed sports or on teams with male athletes under the legislation, which restricts female teams to individuals identified as female on their birth certificate.

The bill applies to high school and college sports sponsored by public schools, including intramural and club teams.

"I believe Florida should protect the ability of girls and women to safely participate in athletics, and I think there is consensus among my colleagues surrounding that underlying policy objective," said the bill's sponsor, Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland. "We want to get there in a manner that respects the inherent dignity of each person."

Related story: Florida's Proposed Transgender Bill Hits Wall In State Senate