Anne Geggis
This is “Freedom Summer” in Florida and that means Independence Day will be a four-day weekend for most state employees, according to an announcement from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Office, closing state offices on Monday.
The announcement makes no mention of the awkwardness of coming back from the weekend to work on Monday and then taking off for the July Fourth holiday the next day. Instead, this day of pay without clocking in for most of the state’s 625,000 employees was announced along with what the Governor calls the legislative accomplishments of the last Session.
“I am proud to recognize our state employees for their service to Floridians,” DeSantis said in a prepared statement.
“Following an historic legislative session, where we enshrined medical freedom, secured school choice expansion, and provided the largest tax cut package in Florida history, I hope our hard-working state employees use this additional time off to enjoy Freedom Summer in Florida with their loved ones,” the statement continued.
The “medical freedom,” that was enshrined refers to four measures signed into law. Two address issues that arose during the pandemic that prohibit discrimination based on vaccination status and “gain of function” pathogen research, that would make viruses and bacteria more transmissible or virulent.
Other boons for “medical freedom,” passed this Session bolster a physician’s right to opt out of providing certain health care services based on conscience, and exempts from the public records law certain information relating to investigations into violations of laws protecting people from discrimination based on their health care choices.
Florida also became the largest state to provide private-school vouchers to all students, regardless of family income, hence the school-choice expansion cited in the free vacation day announcement.
And, well, those who dumped tea into Boston Harbor to protest the British tax on tea just prior to the events celebrated Tuesday, would appreciate what DeSantis means by “the largest tax cut package in Florida history.”
Even if you’re not celebrating these new laws, who wouldn’t cheer an extra day off?
4 comments
Dont Say FLA
June 27, 2023 at 7:46 pm
Ando just like Rhonda’s tax cuts for normal folk, valid this year only. The rich get tax cuts and July 3rd off en perpetuidad
Suze
June 27, 2023 at 8:25 pm
Man he is trying anything to get votes. How about quit banning books, being homophobic, attacking transgender human beings, vulnerable populations, anti-science, anti-women’s health, spending florida dollars to run for president, lying about your role force feeding prisoners in Guantanamo bay, the list goes on and on.
Dont Say FLA
June 28, 2023 at 7:27 am
Rhonda aka Auntie Woke could stop with their silly anti-work oops i meant anti-woke platform.
Folks always trying to get a MAGA to define “woke.” They can’t. But there is very clear definition for what “anti-woke” means, and I will explain that now.
ANTI-WOKE
ăn′tī wōk adj noun
1. Any politician that does want their poor white voting base to realize THEY are the new n_____s.
Michael Wright
June 28, 2023 at 8:43 am
For any contractor that works for a state agency, this in an UNPAID day off, just like the additional days that are often done around Christmas and Thanksgiving. It would be greatly appreciated if these would be paid.
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