Florida - Monday February 6, 2023: State Senate Democrats slammed Governor DeSantis and this week's Special Session saying the only reason why it has been called is to clean up what they said are the Governor’s policy mistakes.
“I think we have a lot to cover this week cleaning up the messes of our Governor," said Florida Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book at the start of a news conference Monday
One of the biggest issues on the agenda is a purported measure to strip Disney of its governmental control over the Reedy Creek Development District that encompasses Disney World. “We haven’t seen a Reedy Creek bill," said Book. "We don’t know what this looks like. What are we doing?”
Then there is the proposal allocating another $12 million for the continued re-location of migrants. State Senator Jason Pizzo points out that this latest proposed allocation of taxpayer funds says nothing about the wave of migrants coming ashore along the Florida coast. The Senator filed a still pending lawsuit last year against the Governor use of state funds to ship Venezuelan refugees from Texas to Martha's Vineyard. This latest proposed expenditure transfers authority for the program to the Department of Emergency Management, under Kevin Guthrie. The third state agency to be assigned this task. "I don’t think Kevin Guthrie wants to be in the immigration re-location business," said Pizzo. "Not relocating and hiring vendors to go transport people for political theater.”
Senator Tracie Davis took issue with the latest proposal regarding the prosecution of election crimes. “Over and over 67 Counties, the Supervisors have said, we don’t have fraud. There is no fraud," said Senator Davis. "So again, here we are adding powers to a state prosecutor that really should be looking at other cases.”
This Special Session, said Sen. Pizzo is about fixing the Governor’s policy mistakes. “When things are working, hurry up and rush back the legislature, shove it down their throat, they have 28, shut-up and sit down, do as I tell you to do. That’s why we’re here. That’s why I have pity for the republican side. They’re going to do what they’re told.”
After a reading of the Special Session Proclamation, both the House and the Senate adjourned Monday to consider the proposals on the agenda in various committees. They will resume the Session on Thursday when they take up the legislation once it has been finalized.