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

Published May. 5, 2023, 9:23 a.m. ET | Updated May. 5, 2023

Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, and Florida House Speaker Paul Renner at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. (Photo/Florida House of Representatives)
Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, and Florida House Speaker Paul Renner at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. (Photo/Florida House of Representatives)

Lydia Nusbaum and Amber Cooper contributed to this report.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Friday, May 5 marks the end of Florida’s 2023 legislative session, which was host to a variety of bills rammed through by the state’s Republican supermajority in tandem with support from Gov. Ron DeSantis.

At a bill signing in Jacksonville earlier this week, the governor thanked the state’s lawmakers for being “productive” off the heels of his 2022 reelection, which was host to a steep red wave.

“We’ve done so much stuff this year to lead the country as is… We’ve got a lot more in the hopper that we will be signing in the law over the next few weeks,” DeSantis said Tuesday.

“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,” he said.

Instrumental in the “productive” 60 days was House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples.

“I am proud that with the tireless work of our Senators, and strong partnerships with the Florida House and Governor DeSantis, we are concluding today having passed significant legislation in nearly every area of public policy, along with a balanced budget, meaningful tax relief for families and seniors, and historic reserves,” Passidomo said on the session’s closing.

Below is a list featuring some of the higher-profile priorities pursued by the state’s leadership, either having already been signed into law by the governor or having been passed by the state legislature, awaiting DeSantis’ signature.

  • Six-week abortion ban: DeSantis signed the bill into law mid-April. “We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said.
    • “I applaud the Legislature for passing the Heartbeat Protection Act that expands pro-life protections and provides additional resources for young mothers and families.”
  • Permitless carry: The law allows people to conceal a firearm without needing a permit from the government.
    • Citizens would still be able to receive a concealed weapons permit in the state if they so choose. It would allow them to qualify for the the protection of interstate concealed carry reciprocity agreements.
  • 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.
    • It includes $12 million from the general fund for an illegal immigration program that DeSantis used to send migrants to Martha’s Vineyard last year.
  • Penalties on businesses that admit kids to “adult live performances”: The legislation came after multiple drag shows were caught on video performing sexual dances in front of children, as documented by Florida’s Voice.
    • 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: Spearheaded by Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, the law would fine credit card companies for tracking gun and ammunition purchases.
    • “The ‘Florida Arms and Ammo Act’ draws a line in the sand and tells progressive financial institutions that they cannot covertly track, monitor, and report data on Floridians exercising their constitutionally protected Second Amendment rights,” Simpson said after the bill passed.
  • Removal of automatic teachers union paycheck deductions: A public employee, such as a teacher, would need to opt into a union and send payments.
    • The legislation does not apply to law enforcement officers, correctional officers and firefighters.
  • Affordable housing: Also called the Live Local Act, the legislation was spearheaded by Passidomo.
    • 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.
    • “In total, I am confident our legislation will improve housing options for Floridians at all income levels and stages of life, so that families don’t have to spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing, and can have the margin needed to save and build the rest of their lives,” Passidomo said.
  • 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.
    • With regards to government contracting, the law bans state and local governments from considering social, political, or ideological believes when evaluating potential vendors. The governor considered this “social credit scores.”
  • Ban on sex reassignment surgeries, other operations for minors: “This is not science. This is a cult that is focused on the abuse of children,” Bill sponsor Rep. Randy Fine, R-South Brevard County, said.
    • For the minors already receiving medications such as puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones prior to the bill becoming law, their fate would be up to the Board of Medicine.
  • Outlawing central bank digital currency: Also known as CBDC, the potential for this sort of system has prompted alarm bells from DeSantis and his office.
    • The bill aims to prohibit the U.S. Federal Reserve implementing such a digital currency that can be centrally tracked by the federal government in Florida.
    • It accomplishes this by preventing CBDC from being treated as legal currency under Florida Uniform Commercial Code.
  • Lowering the jury threshold for the death penalty: This priority was sparked by the verdict for the Parkland shooter, which resulted in life in prison.
    • At the bill signing, DeSantis was joined by several Parkland parents.
    • The law reduces the number of jurors needed to administer the death penalty from unanimous to now eight out of twelve.
  • 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.
    • The legislation outlines that someone commits the offense of a trespass if they enter a bathroom designated for the opposite sex at a state building, correctional institution, detention facility, juvenile correctional facility and any educational institution.
    • There are exceptions.
  • 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.

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