“I think what we’ll be able to say when the dust settles – with the budget, and the legislative, and all the bills – that there’s never been a bolder and more productive six months in the history of the state of Florida in terms of really delivering on big promises.” — Governor Ron DeSantis

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The 2023 Florida Legislative session ended on Friday, May 5th.

Here is list of legislative bills passed during what is being called the “most conservative session” in Florida’s history:

• Six-week abortion ban
• Permitless carry: The law allows people to conceal a firearm without needing a permit from the government.
• Tax relief and budget: Lawmakers finished off the session with $2.7 billion in tax relief and a budget comprised of around $117 billion.
• Illegal immigration crackdown: The legislation makes changes to E-Verify, adds more money for an illegal immigration transportation program and increases penalties for human smuggling.
• Penalties on businesses that admit kids to “adult live performances”: The legislation would authorize Florida to fine, suspend, or revoke the license of any public establishment that admits a child to “adult live performances” that depict or simulate nudity, sexual conduct, or lewd exposure.
• Death penalty for child rapists: “If you commit a crime that is really, really heinous, you should have the ultimate punishment,” DeSantis said at a bill signing.
• A “digital bill of rights”: The governor proposed this in February in an effort to protect Floridians from what he described as big tech harms and overreach.
• Enhanced penalties for fentanyl dealing: “They need to be treated like murderers, because they are murdering people,” the governor said at the bill signing.
• Fining credit card companies for tracking gun purchases:
• Removal of automatic teachers union paycheck deductions: A public employee, such as a teacher, would need to opt into a union and send payments.
• Affordable housing: Also called the Live Local Act:
  • The proposed legislation seeks to incentivize the construction of new projects in close proximity to existing affordable housing units with the goal of providing residents of older units a new home while at the same time rebuilding and updating older buildings.
• Outlawing social credit scores, crackdown on environmental, social and corporate governance investment: The law prohibits state and local governments investments from sacrificing investment return to promote “ESG” investments.
• Ban on sex reassignment surgeries, other operations for minors.
• Outlawing central bank digital currency.
• Lowering the jury threshold for the death penalty.
• Parental rights law expansion to PreK-8: The bill prohibits school teachers from teaching sexual orientation or gender identity from grades PreK-8.
• Eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion departments from public universities: The bill eliminates funding for “DEI” programs from public universities and establish standards for core courses.
• Fighting antisemitism: The law increases penalties for intimidating or threatening someone based on religious or ethnic heritage.
• Separate bathrooms by sex: The bill that mandates separate male, female or unisex bathrooms for entities such as schools and government buildings.
• Requiring “wide diversity of perspectives” in campus lectures or debates, banning political loyalty tests in higher education: The legislation aims to modify provisions related to intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity, the use of political loyalty tests in hiring and admissions, and due process for students participating in student governments.

There will be more on many issues as they are signed in the coming days and weeks.

©2023 Dr. Rich Swier. All rights reserved.

RELATED ARTICLE: Florida lawmakers wrap up ‘productive’ session delivering on hot-button GOP issues

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