PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday in Panama City an initiative to eliminate any COVID-19 regulations across the state.
Among DeSantis' latest push against COVID-19 policies, he announced a common-sense legislative proposal to protect Floridians from losing their jobs to vaccine mandates, protect parents' rights and those discriminated against based on vaccine status, his office said in a news release.
DeSantis, who is often name-dropped as a potential Republican presidential candidate for 2024, has spoke against lockdowns since the COVID pandemic began in 2020.
“These measures will ensure Florida will provide landmark protections for free speech for medical practitioners,” DeSantis said in a statement.
The governor's office says that DeSantis wants to see a law that protects physicians who speak out against COVID-19 policies from getting fired. He also wants to get rid of masks mandates in places like schools, offices and other workplaces that will require them, DeSantis' office says.
In December, the Florida Supreme Court said they will convene a grand jury at Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ request to investigate any wrongdoing with respect to the COVID-19 vaccines.