Photo: Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via AP
Ron DeSantisis doubling down on his administration’s regulation of Florida schools with a new proposal to expand the divisive"Don’t Say Gay" lawto cover grades 4 through 12 as well.
In 2022, Florida lawmakerspassed a billto block the classroom discussion of certain LGBTQ topics in the third grade or younger, or “in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
The bill, formally titled “Parental Rights in Education,” receivedwidespread, national backlasheven before it took effect in July, with critics saying it could have adverse effects on an already marginalized community.
Thenew proposaltakes the bill a step further, forbidding classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, K-12.
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The original billignited a feud between DeSantis and Disney Worldwhen the companyexpressed oppositionto the polarizing measure.
The governor responded, attacking Disney as “woke” and saying in a fundraising email that the iconic company “lost any moral authority to tell you what to do.”
DeSantis then asked legislators to consider terminating the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a special zone enacted in 1967 that gives the company special privileges, including tax exemptions and certain autonomies like providing its own fire, police and other services such as building and maintaining roads,The New York Times reports.
State lawmakers voted in favor of stripping the company of its control of the district, and DeSantis signed the measure into law in February.
The Florida governorhandily won reelection in November, amid intense speculation that he might be eyeing higher office — specifically, arun for the U.S. presidency in 2024.
Though DeSantis remains tight-lipped about a possible run for higher office, a political sourcerecently told PEOPLEthat he “is popular with Florida Republican voters, which is a good indication of how he would do nationally. He is not afraid to speak out on unpopular issues, and even more important than that, he is not afraid of Donald Trump.”
source: people.com
