Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis continues to back down.
The Florida governor launched his failed presidential bid on the back of his anti-LGBTQ+ policies, with school book bans at the top of the list. Back in 2022, DeSantis signed a law making it easy for adults in any school district to challenge books on library shelves, with no limitations. The end result was complete chaos.
This school year alone, Florida is responsible for 3,135 of the 4,349 school book bans in the U.S. A large percentage of the banned titles deal with racial and LGBTQ+ issues.
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Just this past week in conservative Clay County, one person challenged 40 books, the AP reports.
With these astronomical numbers in mind, DeSantis is finally admitting defeat. On Tuesday, he backtracked on one of his most infamous initiatives, signing a bill that narrows the law’s focus. Now, people without students in a school district are limited to just one challenge per month.
“The idea that someone can use the parents rights and the curriculum transparency to start objecting to every single book to try to make a mockery of this is just wrong,” said DeSantis. “That’s performative. That’s political.”
In pure “Meatball Ron” fashion, DeSantis is deflecting responsibility for his failed policy, blaming the astronomical number of book bans on… liberal activists?
Chaz Stevens, a character in the form of Vermin Supreme who once erected a Festivus pole made out of beer cans across from a nativity scene displayed in the Capitol, presented challenges in dozens of school districts over bibles, dictionaries and thesauruses.
Unable or unwilling to recognize satire, DeSantis’ office says Stevens’ behavior was the impetus behind the antigay governor’s decision to limit the law. The new edict ensures “book challenges are limited for individuals, like Chaz, who do not have children with access to the school district’s materials,” a DeSantis spokeswoman told the AP.
When asked to provide additional examples of (actual) liberal activists removing books from shelves, the spokesperson didn’t respond.
Stevens, for his part, says he’s thrilled to be singled out. “When they need to make stupid stupider, they send me up. I’m part comedian, I’m part activist, I’m part artist. I just want a better society,” he added. “I’m an idiot, but a smart guy at the same time.”
In other words, DeSantis just got played! Earlier this year, he admitted the law wasn’t working as planned.
“With objecting–if you go to a school board meeting objecting. If you have a kid in school, OK. But if you’re somebody who doesn’t have a kid in school and you’re gonna object to 100 books? No, I don’t think that’s appropriate,” he said.
Related:
Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis finally admits failure on one of his signature anti-LGBTQ+ laws
The Florida governor now says the state’s law regarding book bans goes too far.
“Tiny D’s” book ban retraction is only his latest setback since ending his presidential campaign. He’s made concessions in the settlements of multiple lawsuits involving the state and Disney; and his signature “Don’t Say Gay” legislation was also clawed back, with a Florida court deciding the law was too broad.
In addition, the court found the law doesn’t prohibit “incidental references in literature to a gay or transgender person or to a same-sex couple.”
Overall, DeSantis’ anti-LGBTQ+ agenda is hitting roadblocks in the Republican-dominated Florida legislature. According to Truthout, 21 of 22 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were effectively eliminated in this year’s legislative session.
Florida lawmakers also pushed back on the embattled gov’s request to place one of Moms for Liberty’s co-founders, Tina Descovich, on a state ethics board.
DeSantis’ other signature piece of legislation, the Stop WOKE Act, is now curtailed as well. Last year, an appeals court ruled it couldn’t apply to colleges and universities, and recently included business in that group. One justice called the law “positively dystopian.”
Four judges in total have blocked the legislation, including two appointed by the former White House occupant.
Speaking of Trump, DeSantis recently pledged to raise money for the disgraced ex-president, despite being subjected to constant torment during the GOP primary. Trump and his allies accused DeSantis of being homosexual, potentially being a pedophile and wearing high heels.
When DeSantis first exited the race, he went after Trump, complaining about his vice grip on right-wing media.
“[Trump’s] got basically a Praetorian Guard of the conservative media. Fox News, the websites, all this stuff,” he said, in possibly his most accurate comments ever. “They just don’t–they don’t hold him accountable because they’re worried about losing viewers.”
DeSantis went further in a private call with donors, opining about Trump’s “baggage” and his lack of accomplishments as president.
But yet, “Pudding Fingers” (another Trump nickname) will be on the fundraising circuit for the first ever former president facing a criminal trial.
With all of these humiliating developments, one might think that DeSantis would be humbled. But that would be wrong. He’s continued to enact cruel policies, including late last week, when he signed a bill banning Florida localities from equiring employers to provide outdoor workers with access to water, rest and shade.
Workplace safety advocates say the law will kill people. “Someone is going to die as a result of this legislation,” a telecommunications technician told HuffPo.
Florida Republicans say the controversial legislation is supposed to clamp down on a “patchwork” of local regulations regarding heat safety. The law was issued in response to Miami-Dade County lawmakers, who recently proposed legislation that would’ve required some employers to provide heat protections and water breaks to some workers.
But in reality, it seems to be about punishing the little guy.
DeSantis, battered and bruised, seemingly won’t stop until more of his constituents feel pain.
Related:
Move over Lindsey Graham, Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis is angling to be Trump’s new lapdog
Ron DeSantis is planning to raise money for Trump, despite the disgraced ex-president insulting him for a year straight.
dbmcvey
Hmmm… So staking your entire career on bigotry isn’t the winner he thought it would be?
abfab
Casey want’s him out of the house. He’s annoying.
Mack
It’s reported that he changed that law because someone objected to his precious book of lies-the Bible-being in schools.
Kangol2
We won’t forget, Gov. Bootlifts! The trashbin of history is calling your name!
abfab
He makes me long for the days of SANTORUM. Ew. Sorry.
frapachino
Radical leftists need to take a seat when it comes to banning.
dbmcvey
Yeah, leave that up to the radical rightists!
Kangol2
Fraps is back from his lurking lair, all to defend De Fa s c i s t. Good times, good times.
LumpyPillows
We’re not banning DeSantis, we just know exactly who he is, and find him irredeemable.
frapachino
“when he signed a bill banning Florida localities from requiring employers to provide outdoor workers with access to water, rest and shade” there are already laws on the books protecting workers. And no I am not defending nor promoting Desantis I am defending the truth.
abfab
No you’re not.
dbmcvey
No, you are defending DeSantis. We don’t know why, but you are.
abfab
Because he’s a republican who lives in a log cabin.
still_onthemark
I’ve searched all over, in vain, for any news item that would support what you’re saying. There WERE laws on the books protecting outdoor workers in some cities and counties, but this law gets rid of those protections. (Texas did the exact same thing, btw. Gotta punish those uppity “Democrat-run cities”!)
abfab
Chino is still the ALTERNATE FACTS queen.
Bosch
I feel like you don’t know what “banning” means.
Fahd
Here’s how the Republicans seem to work nowadays: In states where there’s a Democratic governor and legislature (e.g. California), the Republicans are all about local control and resisting State government “overreach”. In States with Republican governors and legislatures (e.g.Texas and Florida) the Republicans are all about “restraining” local governments and imposing State law in every locality. If people get hurt, oh well, that’s politics.
Maybe it is time for someone like Liz Cheney or Chris Christie to put together a contingent of decent Republicans and independents to rebuke the MAGA takeover of their party.
Kangol2
Cheney and Christie can try but a sizable chunk of the GOP is MAGA. That’s their hurdle (wall) to surmount.
abfab
There is NOTHING decent about Christie. You must be mad! And Liz…..talk about baggage. No.
Fahd
Well maybe “decent” was a poor choice of words, but to quote Ross Perot, “If you’ve got a better idea, I’m all ears.” A third party candidate to siphon off/bring out the non-MAGA Republican vote would be helpful in November.
abfab
Ross Perot? Now you are batting a thousand. : )
abfab
They could always res-erect Ronald Reagan up from the grave….they still look at him like Jesus. Otherwise, they got nooooooooooooooooooooooooobody.
LumpyPillows
I would take Christie and Cheney over the MAGAs any day. They have baggage, but they are so much better than what remains in the MAGA republican party.
dbmcvey
But I’d take Biden and the Democrats over Christie and Cheney any day.
The Republican Party is MAGA. These traditional Republicans have been kicked out of the party.
LumpyPillows
No disagreement from me.
GrantS
The headline is completely wrong. I live in Florida and DeSantis is not “working overtime to dial back his antiwoke persona.” If anything he’s further burnishing it. All these setbacks were not because he took any initiative, they’re because he had no option legally or anti-woke-aly. He still loves book bans, just not when liberals ban religious and conservative books.
mastik8
He term limits out at the end of this term so he’s modifying his positions in advance of his Presidential run in 2028.
abfab
With time enough to modify his disco booties and cha-cha heels.
LumpyPillows
“I told you cha-cha heels! Black ones!”
abfab
Cuddles Kovinsky:
At first I thought he was walking his dog. Then I realized, it was his date.
abfab
Protester:
Our children are going to hell becuase of your theater, what do you have to say to them!?
Elmer:
Children under 12 are a dollar fifty!
abfab
Francine:
That’s a new garment, Lulu. I can smell it! Have you been shoplifting again?
LumpyPillows
Lol, I can count on you to get it.