Wednesday, Florida Republicans passed bills prohibiting college diversity programs and the use of non-gendered pronouns by students and faculty.
The House and Senate Republican supermajorities gave final approval to the two proposals. The bills are expected to be signed by Governor DeSantis.
DeSantis’ Conservative Agenda
DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential bid in the coming weeks, has pursued a staunchly conservative agenda in an effort to bolster the support of Republican primary voters in advance of his White House bid.
The state’s Legislative session, which is scheduled to conclude this week, has been dominated by divisive cultural issues, with Republican allies of Governor DeSantis approving his priority bills on sexual orientation, gender identity, race, and education, which are expected to aid his presidential campaign.
Wednesday, the Senate voted to expand the Parental Rights in Education Act, which critics refer to as Don’t Say Gay and which is a major calling card of DeSantis, with a sweeping bill that prevents school staffers or students from being required to use pronouns that do not correspond to the person’s sex.
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Prohibiting Instruction On Gender Identity
It also prohibits classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation through the eighth grade, thereby enforcing the DeSantis administration’s decision to outlaw such instruction at all grade levels.
In addition, the bill strengthens the system by which individuals can file challenges against school textbooks, another DeSantis initiative that has led to the removal of material he and his supporters argue is inappropriate for children.
An analysis by the Associated Press using the bill-tracking software Plural revealed that this year, Republican lawmakers in at least a dozen states have proposed more than thirty bills aimed at diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in higher education.
Additionally, the House passed a bill prohibiting transgender individuals from using restrooms that do not correspond to their gender.
After the legislative session concludes, DeSantis is expected to formally declare his candidacy for president. In recent months, he has spent a considerable amount of time traveling to battleground states and other locations in order to promote his conservative agenda and policies regarding race, gender, and education.
Democrats in the state legislature, who lack the ability to halt Republican legislation, are venting their frustration over the shift to the right of center.
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