DeSantis opens legislative session, promising more to come in culture wars, abortion bans

[In It to Win It]

Miami Herald

No paywall

Proclaiming “you ain’t seen nothing yet,” Gov. Ron DeSantis used the first state of the state speech of his second term Tuesday to aim at a national political audience and give a nod to a cooperative Republican-led Legislature that vowed to work together to pass his agenda.

“We defied the experts. We buck the elites. We ignored the chatter. We did it our way, the Florida way,’’ DeSantis declared as lawmakers gaveled in their annual 60-day legislative session.

The 30-minute address was markedly less political than his recent speeches at fundraisers and book talks around the country with the release last week of his political memoir, ”The Courage to be Free.” But DeSantis hinted at more political skirmishes to come as he puts Florida at the forefront on the battlefield of the culture wars, as a cooperative Legislature has already proposed a slate of bills that keep it there.

“I can promise you this, you ain’t seen nothing yet,’’ he concluded. Within minutes of the opening session, Republicans filed a bill the governor sought that imposes new penalties on organizations that help illegal immigrants, and another a bill to reduce the ban on abortions from 15 weeks to six in Florida, even though the 15-week ban is still pending a ruling from the Florida Supreme Court.

[Deuxcents]

1. Yep. The legislature has their rubber stamp at the ready.