Florida lawmakers return to Tallahassee with lighter agenda as DeSantis focuses on Iowa
On his political ascent, Gov. Ron DeSantis has used Florida’s annual legislative session as rocket fuel, pushing an aggressive agenda in recent years that has rewired state institutions with right-wing orthodoxy, punished critics and enthused conservatives around the country.
But with lawmakers set to reconvene in the Florida Capitol on Tuesday, and DeSantis’ fading presidential ambitions hinging on contests playing out this month more than 1,000 miles away, the two-term governor is returning to Tallahassee this week to what could be his most tamped-down legislative session yet.
While things could change quickly, more than a dozen lawmakers and consultants interviewed by the Herald/Times say they’re expecting a less explosive session than in recent years, when the GOP-controlled Legislature approved restrictions on transgender care, a six-week abortion ban, limits on what can be taught in public schools and an historic expansion on school choice, among other polarizing issues.
But a slower pace in Tallahassee, they say, is not an indication that DeSantis is losing influence over the legislative process as he struggles on
the national stage. Like the governor, many Republicans say that after pushing Florida further to the right in recent years, they expect a sleepier session as the race for the Republican presidential
nomination plays out.
“The last year was a year where I feel like we got 10 years worth of bills, and for us, that has been really fantastic,” said Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Lake Mary. “It’s like the dog that caught the bumper. Now what do we do?”
Unlike last year, when DeSantis rolled out a slew of contentious measures that helped generate