DeSantis rounds out week of wins: Disney, social media and anti-squatter laws, congressional map

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis is rounding out a stacked week of victories, repeatedly drawing national attention and sparking satirical comparisons to the national GOP over his “accomplishing too many things.”

• Monday, DeSantis signed legislation that had garnered bipartisan support aiming to protect children from the harms of “addictive” social media and barring their access to online “harmful” content like pornography.
  • The bill was spearheaded by Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, among other GOP and Democratic lawmakers. Officials expect lawsuits over the new law, but are hopeful Florida will prevail in court.
  • The legislation was sponsored by Reps. Tyler Sirois, R-Merritt Island; Fiona McFarland, R-Sarasota, and Michele Rayner, D-St. Petersburg; and Sen. Erin Grall, R-Fort Pierce.
• Tuesday, DeSantis and the governor-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Board emerged victorious in the state-level lawsuits with Disney over control of Walt Disney World’s former independent special district.
  • Under a settlement, the lawsuits on both sides are being dropped, and the state board is walking away with Disney agreeing to declare its prior last-minute, far-reaching agreements to exert authority over the area “null and void,” something DeSantis vowed to accomplish when the battle ramped up in 2023.
  • The governor’s team, including press secretary Jeremy Redfern, communications director Bryan Griffin and Christina Pushaw took victory laps over the roundup of media headlines over the past several months prematurely implying DeSantis’ failure in the war with Disney.
• Wednesday, the governor signed legislation to end the so-called “squatter scam” in Florida, helping ensure law enforcement can evict people who attempt to hijack Floridian homes and properties by claiming they have a right to remain.
  • The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Kevin Steele, R-Dade City, and Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville.
• Also on Wednesday, the governor and Florida Legislature’s 2022 congressional redistricting map was upheld again in court.
  • The map ultimately handed Republicans a 20-8 seat advantage in the U.S. Congress.
• Thursday, DeSantis signed a legislation to further cut “red tape” in the state – this time on the ability of Floridians to buy and sell wine bottles of enormous sizes.
  • “This is an example of us cutting unnecessary red tape and eliminating out of state regulations,” DeSantis said. “We want our businesses to thrive, we want our consumers to be happy and if that means they want to buy and sell a big old bottle of wine like this, then by golly, they’re gonna be able to do that in the state of Florida.
  • The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Chip LaMarca, R-Lighthouse Point, and Sen. Jay Trumbull, R-Panama City.

Reflecting on the continued GOP success in Florida, DeSantis was asked at a press conference Thursday what he would tell other Republicans.

“If I don’t know I can get it done, I don’t make a promise,” DeSantis said.

“When you govern in a way that’s contrary to how you campaigned […] that creates dissatisfaction,” he said. “Florida is the exception.”

“Our movement here in Florida has been driven by results,” DeSantis said. “It’s been driven by doing things that people want to see done.”

Looking ahead, DeSantis still has a long slate of high-profile bills, including an agricultural package that would ban the production and sale of lab-grown meat and the state’s budget, which includes tax relief and billions in surplus.

The agricultural package was spearheaded by Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and state lawmakers, including Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, and Rep. Danny Alvarez, R-Riverview.