Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill that will fully open the state of Florida, bar any government-made restrictions on businesses operating during states of emergency and ensure that businesses which choose to operate without enforcing a mask mandate will not be penalized for doing so.
The order, which goes into effect July 1, will apply only to government orders and will not affect businesses in the state that have mask mandates in place, like Walt Disney World, should they choose to continue enforcing a mask mandate.
The legislation would also limit future governors’ powers by restricting statewide orders to 42 days and empowering the state legislature to overrule orders set by the governor.
“The bill ensures that neither the state nor local governments can close business or keep kids out of in-person instruction unless they satisfy demanding and continuous justifications,” DeSantis said Monday when signing the bill.
“We’re no longer in a state of emergency,” he continued. “People are going to be able to make decisions, and they have the wherewithal to protect themselves with vaccines if they want.”
DeSantis also called for the “policing of people” to cease, saying that if that is the prevailing belief then, “you really are saying you don’t believe in the vaccines; you don’t believe in the data; you don’t believe in the science.”
“I think this creates a structure that’s going to be a little bit more respectful of people’s businesses, jobs, schools and personal freedoms,” he said. {eoa}
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