Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
DeSantis: ‘I will lead with purpose and conviction’
As he’s sworn in, new governor vows to protect environment, stop ‘judicial activism’
TALLAHASSEE – Ron DeSantis was sworn in as Florida’s 46th governor Tuesday and vowed to protect Florida’s environment, bring an end to “judicial activism,” expand school choice and carry on the Republican economic playbook of cutting taxes and regulations.
After thanking his predecessor Rick Scott for leading the state through an economic recovery following the Great Recession, DeSantis turned to the task at hand – governing a growing state with 21 million people.
“Let there be no misunderstanding: as governor, I will lead with purpose and conviction on behalf of the people of Florida,” DeSantis said. “If the Legislature engages in wasteful spending, I will veto it. If a local official is neglectful of required duties, I will remove the official. If our environment is threatened, I will move to protect it.’’
But government is not the answer, he said.
“Our rights are endowed by God, not government; that we the people loan power to government under the Constitution in order to protect our rights,” he said. “That government’s role is not to run our lives for us but to provide what Lincoln called an ‘open field
and fair chance for one’s industry, enterprise and intelligence.’”
Three other Cabinet officials – Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody, Republican Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried – also were sworn in on the steps of the Old Capitol on a sunny, 69-degree day.
DeSantis, 40, represents a generational shift in Florida’s leadership, a Generation X member and the first governor born after the Vietnam War.
He won a fiercely contested election over Democrat Andrew Gillum, after beating Adam Putnam in the GOP primary thanks in large part to an endorsement by tweet from President Donald Trump.
DeSantis laid out an economic plan that follows the way Republicans have governed since winning control of the executive branch in 1999: low taxes and fewer business regulations. But he also stressed the need to restore Florida’s environment, saying that fighting the blue-green algae and red tide that marred waterways across the state as one of his top priorities — a departure from Scott’s single-minded focus on the economy.
“People want to come to Florida because of its natural beauty,” DeSantis said. “Tourism is not only a pillar of our state’s economy, it helps spread the tax burden to non-Floridians, limiting taxes on our citizens. But this could be in jeopardy if we do not solve our pressing environmental problems. As the great philosopher Yogi Berra remarked, if people don’t want to come, nobody is going to stop them.’’
In another shift from the Scott era, which began with a frosty relationship with fellow GOP legislators, DeSantis wasted no time in courting lawmakers, holding a luncheon with legislative leaders of both parties immediately after he was sworn in. He cited his background as a “recovering congressman” and emphasized the importance of the Legislature.
“The legislative branch is not a subordinate branch, it’s a co-equal branch,” DeSantis said.
Some of the most legacy-defining decisions he’ll make also will be among DeSantis’ first in office. Three liberal Supreme Court justices – Barbara Pariente, Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince – were forced to retire Monday night because of age limits in the state constitution.
By naming conservative justices who are “willing to overturn bad precedent” – a job requirement DeSantis listed for his judicial appointees – he can flip the balance of the court from a 4-3 liberal majority to staunchly conservative.
DeSantis told the Associated Press he’s interviewed all 11 nominees put forward by a nominating panel, and he’ll announce one justice Wednesday and the other two in the coming weeks. In Florida, Supreme Court justices are not required to be confirmed by the state Senate.
“To my fellow Floridians, I say to you: judicial activism ends, right here and right now,” DeSantis said. “I will only appoint judges who understand the proper role of the courts is to apply the law and Constitution as written, not to legislate from the bench. The Constitution, not the judiciary, is supreme.”
Another piece of DeSantis’ platform is expanding voucher programs and other school choice policies, which earned him a stern rebuke from the largest teachers union.
“Our state can do the most good for the greatest number of students by investing in the neighborhood public schools that educate the large majority of Florida’s kids,” said Fredrick Ingram, president of the Florida Education Association. “‘Choice,’ on the other hand, is a code word for draining tax dollars from our neighborhood public schools to fund charter and voucher programs that serve only a small percentage of children.”
In a possible hint at cracking down on election officials in Palm Beach and Broward counties after the tumultuous November election, DeSantis said he “cannot allow Florida’s reputation to be further tarnished” by election failures.
“A generation of botched elections is enough,” he said.
DeSantis grew up in Dunedin and attended Harvard and Yale before joining the Navy, serving as a Judge Advocate General during a tour in Iraq in 2007.
He then settled in northeast Florida, serving three terms as a U.S. representative, joining the Freedom Caucus group of firebrands who often voted against Republican leadership for not holding a conservative enough line on taxes, the debt and other issues.
Democrats called on DeSantis to work with them as he takes the helm.
“We cannot afford to continue on the track that Florida has been on for eight years with Rick Scott,” said Florida Democratic Party chair Terrie Rizzo. “DeSantis must work across the aisle to address the critical issues facing Florida’s families — from health care, to our environment, to our public schools. We look forward to holding Governor DeSantis accountable for his words and his actions in the next four years.”