‘Dead on arrival’: House Democrats cry foul after amendment massacre

Frustrated. Disservice. Political theater. These are the words House Democrats deployed Tuesday after a slew of party-sponsored amendments went unheard.

One would have provided reemployment assistance for COVID-19 impacted workers. Another pitched COVID-19 education. Most failed or were ruled out of order. Some were withdrawn.

In an unconventional move, House Speaker Chris Sprowls opened the meeting with a warning that angered Democrats: “some” amendments are outside the Special Session scope.

“If the Governor wants to be so bold as to put forward these proposals with respect to vaccine requirements, then he also should be so bold as to listen to our ideas about things and how to make these bills better,” Democratic Rep. Fentrice Driskell told reporters at a press event.

Without amendments, outnumbered Democrats have little means to shape Special Session legislation. The agenda — ordered by Gov. Ron DeSantis — aims to thwart COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Rep. Anna Eskamani argued some proposals contain loopholes or raise constitutional questions. The amendments she filed hoped to address those concerns.

They, however, were ruled immaterial.

“This is not a space where we can have those nuanced conversations,” Eskamani said. “They’re just dead on arrival. And I think that’s why so many folks are disenchanted by what happens in Tallahassee … because they assume that this is where good ideas come to die.”

Several Democrats, including House Minority Co-Leader Evan Jenn and Reps. Carlos Guillermo Smith, Angie Nixon and Joe Geller, lamented frustration speaking to reporters post-meeting.

Fred Guttenberg, a gun reform advocate, was also displeased. He is the parent of Parkland shooting victims.

“Theater today is what they did,” Guttenberg said. “We can’t control it, but we can damn well call it out.”

Democrats at-large disapprove of the Special Session. The five-day gathering, they say, is a political stunt orchestrated to benefit DeSantis.

“There are many constituents that are hurting, that are suffering and this is just political red meat,” Nixon said. “We are here because the Governor wants to simply kick off his campaign for (the) presidency.”

For his part, DeSantis and Republican leaders argue President Joe Biden weaponized the Occupational Safety and Health Administration — the federal agency tasked with rolling out the vaccine mandate.

The Special Session, they assert, is needed to defend unvaccinated workers who may lose their job under the mandate.