Calling DeSantis A 'Fascist,' FL Democratic Party Chair Hopes To Fight 'Radical Agenda'

TAMPA, FL — Beginning Sunday with a rally at Centennial Park in Ybor City, Tampa, the Florida Democratic Party is hosting a series of rallies to protest what the party is calling "the divisive, dangerous laws passed by Florida Republicans during this legislative session."

On Friday, Gov Ron DeSantis, joined by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner, in celebrating the end of the 2023 legislative session, touting the passage of what the governor described as "groundbreaking and nation-leading legislation."

While DeSantis declared the 2023 legislative session a "historic success," Democratic minority legislators lamented the passage of laws they say further erode abortion rights and civil liberties, jeopardize the public school system and pose a threat to the safety of Floridians by giving gun owners carte blanche to carry concealed weapons without background checks or training.

The Florida Democratic Party rallies are being led by former Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who unsuccessfully ran against DeSantis for governor in November and now serves as chairman of the Florida Democratic Party.

At the Tampa rally, Fried was joined by U.S. House Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a survivor of gun violence, and Manuel Oliver, the father of a teenager who was killed in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting. Oliver was arrested in Washington, D.C., March 24, while protesting a U.S. House hearing on gun laws at the Capitol.

Fried, herself, was arrested along with Florida Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book, D-Davie, for protesting the passage of the six-week abortion ban outside the state Capital on April 3.

Calling DeSantis a "fascist," Fried said he is "doing everything in his power to obtain more power by taking away power from the Legislature, the judiciary, the cabinet, only to amass more for himself, and using the puppets of the Legislature to push his very radical, fascist agenda on the backs of the Floridians who do not want it."

Meanwhile, following passage of Senate Bill 1718 last week calling for sweeping immigration reforms, members of the human rights group Dream Defenders staged a sit-in in front of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' office Wednesday.

The legislation prohibits cities and counties in Florida from giving funds to organizations that provide identification to anyone who enters the country illegally, bans hospitals from providing medical care to immigrants who don't have valid identification, and penalizes businesses for hiring immigrants without valid IDs.

Laudi Campo, Florida state director of the Hispanic Federation, called the immigration legislation "a dangerous law" which "blatantly targets and criminalizes undocumented immigrants.

"The purpose of this bill is to further invoke fear in all immigrants and their families. It is against the values of our nation when the state infringes upon a person's privacy by requiring hospitals to ask about immigration status before obtaining care. It is against morality when the purpose of this provision is to deter undocumented immigrants from seeking medical care," Campo said.

"Immigrants harvest the fruits and vegetables we eat under harsh conditions, build and maintain the houses and businesses that provide shelter and services to all, and work tirelessly in multiple jobs to provide for their families," said the state director, "They are, in fact, being penalized for striving to live the American dream and contribute to our society."

The 60-day 2023 legislative session followed a historic election cycle during which Republicans captured 20 of the 28 U.S. House seats, gained four more seats in the U.S. Senate and won a supermajority in the state House and Senate by increasing the number of Republican-controlled House seats from 78 to 85 and the number of Senate seats from 24 to 28.

Related:

• Permitless Carry Gun Law Passes Florida House, Moves To Senate
• With Signing Of 6-Week Abortion Ban, Protesters Plan Weekend Rallies
• FL Students Hold 'Inject-In' To Protest Anti-Trans Bills: Report
• FL Senate Passes 'Don't Say Gay' Expansion, Bars Diversity In Colleges
• Dream Defenders Stage Sit-In At FL Governor's Office; Demand Meeting
• Florida GOP Passes 6-Week Abortion Ban
• FL Permitless Concealed Gun Law Passes State Senate
• Gov. DeSantis Signs Florida's 6-Week Abortion Ban Into Law
• With Signing Of 6-Week Abortion Ban, Protesters Plan Weekend Rallies

“After a historic election cycle, we seized the opportunity to follow through on our promises and delivered unprecedented results for Floridians this legislative session,” said DeSantis during Friday's end-of-session celebration.

DeSantis counted among the Legislature's successes the passage of Senate Bill 254, banning what he calls "mutilating" surgical procedures and puberty blockers for children under the age of 18 seeking sex reassignment.

Additionally, he said Florida joined other states across the country "in advancing the pro-life movement" by passing the Heartbeat Protection Act, Senate Bill 300, making abortions illegal after six weeks of pregnancy.

DeSantis said other legislative successes include:

• House Bill 543, which eliminated the need to obtain a concealed weapons permit, making Florida the 26th state to give Floridians "a constitutional right to carry" and "protect themselves without a permission slip from the government."
• Legislation to make permanent the COVID-19 anti-mandate actions that protect Floridians from losing their jobs due to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, protect parents’ rights to allow their children to attend school without masks and prevent discrimination based on COVID-19 vaccine status.
• Senate Bill 1718, which DeSantis said is intended to take "Biden’s border crisis head on" by making Florida the largest state in the country to require employers with more than 25 employees to verify the immigration status of their employees through E-Verify, by increasing penalties for human smuggling, requiring legal identification before accepting immigrants as patients in hospitals or hiring an immigrant, and by appropriating more tax money for DeSantis to transport undocumented immigrants to sanctuary states.
• House Bill 1, establishing universal school choice in Florida, which expands available school choice options for all students in Florida by eliminating financial eligibility restrictions and the current enrollment cap.
• Senate Bill 266, overhauling what is taught at Florida universities by pushing back "against the tactics of liberal elites who suppress free thought in the name of identity politics and indoctrination." DeSantis said the legislation will ensure that Florida’s public universities and colleges are grounded in the history and philosophy of Western Civilization and prohibit the teaching of critical race and diversity and inclusion theories.
• House Bill 1069, approving additional legislation to provide parental control over their children's by giving parents more provisions to protest books, curriculum, sex education classes and the use of LGBTQ-friendly titles and pronouns that parents find objectionable.

Book said, while she was pleased to see the Legislature pass her bill that permanently exempts diapers, wipes, children’s clothing, cribs and strollers from being taxed, allowing struggling families to more easily afford these essentials, she was disappointed to see Democrats lose the "culture war" issues."

“This was a tough session — the toughest I have ever been a part of. I am proud of the bipartisan moments that shined through — expanding Florida KidCare, investing in affordable housing and the environment, eliminating the diaper tax for infants and adults," Book said.

However, she said more bipartisanship was needed, "especially on issues affecting Floridians’ health, safety and their pocketbooks.," Book said. "The middle ground was lost on women’s health care, public school protection, access to the courts, equality, gun safety, and the right to unionize, among others. But we showed up and fought hard even when the chips were down, because that’s what our constituents elected us to do."

“These past 60 days made for a historically difficult session, with historic assaults on elections, LGBTQ+ rights, traditional public schools and women’s rights," said state Sen. Tracie Davis, D-Jacksonville. "However, we had some small victories. Today we return to our communities, celebrate those victories, and gear up to keep fighting for all our constituents next year.”