The 2023 regular session of the Florida legislature begins next Tuesday, March 7. In February, Governor Ron DeSantis released his “Framework for Freedom” budget proposal totaling a record $114.8 billion, including total reserves in excess of $15 billion. With Republican supermajorities in both the House and Senate, DeSantis is likely to see much of his priority legislation pass. Such bills include a measure to allow people to carry concealed firearms without a license, a massive expansion of the state’s school choice voucher program, more restrictions in K-12 schools and higher education when it comes to subjects including LGBTQ issues, critical race theory, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Other major legislation to watch includes a proposed revamping of defamation laws aimed at weakening protections for journalists, cracking down on unauthorized immigration, a plan to shield businesses and insurance companies from costly lawsuits, and a bill to block government investment decisions involving “environmental, social, and governance,” or ESG, standards.
We’ll get a preview analysis of what to expect in the coming session and what it could mean for Floridians in a conversation with Florida Gulf Coast University Political Science professors Roger Green, Ph.D., and Peter Bergerson, Ph.D.
