Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida reflected on the past year and his priorities for 2021 in his State of the State Address on Tuesday, March 2. DeSantis began by addressing the catastrophic effects the coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions have had on the United States. He describes how, in Florida, businesses and schools began opening and the people began living. This brought about prosperity in many forms, especially economically, in stark contrast to the rest of the country. DeSantis stands up for the rights of businesses, saying, “If you are working hard to earn a living, we got your back in the state of Florida.” DeSantis emphasized the influx of people from other states yearning for the “freedom” that Florida provides for its people.
DeSantis’ plans to move forward include endorsing various legislations aimed at combatting foreign interference, particularly from China. This would include topics of science, medicine and technology at Florida universities, public agencies and local governments. DeSantis also plans to enforce anti-violence policies when it comes to protests and mobs. DeSantis made it clear to the men and women of law enforcement that “the state of Florida stands with you.” He plans to spend $96.6 billion in spending for the upcoming fiscal year, focusing on helping communities bolster infrastructure to fight climate change. While many were doubtful the state had enough revenue to spend on this due to the economic struggles of the coronavirus, DeSantis affirmed that the revenue exceeded estimates, showing an $800 million increase in the past three months. DeSantis stated, “The bottom line is that we saved Florida’s economy and as a result our budget outlook is positive… The priorities we’ve championed—from water resources to education to infrastructure—can be honored.” Florida’s more open strategy seems to have benefited the state financially.
DeSantis mentioned, as well, the increased efforts to distribute COVID-19 vaccines in the state. As thousands of doses of the Pfizer vaccine are being distributed to the Florida Department of Health, clinical trials of the Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine will undergo advanced clinical trials in the next week.
DeSantis and lawmakers also plan to target Big Tech. He responds to biased algorithms on social media such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google and more in proposing a policy that would give users an option to consent to change terms. This would give users the ability to decline unwanted exposure to politically charged promotions that appear on users’ screens, or, by the same terms, are hidden from users. DeSantis has long had this mission to prevent censorship of conservative media in the United States. Back in January, DeSantis lamented the censorship of Parler, which is a Twitter alternative that emphasized free speech and was taken down from many app stores and denied access to certain platforms.
DeSantis’ controversial State of the State Address received varying responses from the public, both positive and negative. Many critics believe his moves on Big Tech are politically biased due to recent occurrences of former President Donald Trump’s accounts being censored and removed. They also criticize his approach to the pandemic, calling the reopened state dangerous for the spread of the virus. Others believe Big Tech’s heavy censorship is un-American and claim that this was proven in the censorship of Trump. A video of varying Florida residents such as business owners, teachers, coaches, students and seniors was aired alongside the governor’s speech, praising his pandemic plan. DeSantis also proposes a plan to make voting by mail more difficult to prevent fraud and other issues. Democrats oppose this plan, calling it voter suppression. Despite the backlash and criticism, DeSantis stands strong in his plans for 2021, confident in Florida. He stated, “Coronavirus cases are dropping, vaccinations are increasing, budget projections are improving and schools are reopening.”
To read DeSantis’ full speech, click here.
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