Gov. DeSantis won’t ‘micromanage’ Special Session

Ron DeSantis. Image via AP.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is insisting he won’t “micromanage” the Special Legislative Session underway in Tallahassee.

In Miami for his second news conference of the day highlighting environmental spending, DeSantis was pressed on what he wanted out of the Session he called in opposition to mask and vaccine mandates. He kept his comments big picture.

“Look, I think the Special Session seems like it’s on track,” DeSantis said, before contextualizing his avowed disinterest in the legislative process.

“You know, my view, when I became Governor, I was in the — in my inaugural address, I think I said I’m a recovering member of Congress. I don’t like to remember those days. I was there. I had people that will come up to me, who I served with, saying how much they miss me up there, and I say ‘I don’t miss you guys at all.’ I’m happy to be down here, you know, in the Southern Command in Florida,” the Governor quipped, before getting serious.

“But I made the point that it’s not me as Governor (dictating) to the Legislature,” DeSantis continued. “I can say, ‘Here’s what I’d like to see. … I’ll work with them.”

“I can apply pressure when need be, but ultimately they have a role, a constitutional role. And what I’ve done as Governor is try to set out key things that we need to do, make sure we’re on track for those goals. But I don’t necessarily micromanage every little thing that happens, or follow every committee meeting or whatnot,” DeSantis said. “I don’t necessarily think that’s effective.”

“No Floridian should be losing their jobs over COVID shots,” DeSantis added. “That’s a personal decision for people to make.”

The Special Session is hurtling toward conclusion. The House meets at 8 a.m. Wednesday to vote on the four key bills of the Session.

The Senate meets at 1 p.m. Wednesday. The bills are on the Special Order calendar there. There is one more floor session scheduled for Thursday morning, should it be needed.

By the end of the Special Session, the House and Senate are expected to pass legislation banning private employers, public schools, and local governments from requiring COVID-19 vaccines for employees. They are also expected to pass a public record exemption for investigations of companies violating vaccine mandate bans, along with separate bills paving the way for Florida’s exit from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and barring Surgeons General from compelling vaccinations.

“If I need to weigh in, I’ll weigh in,” DeSantis added, noting his office is working on a “whole bunch of stuff” including the state budget.