From [HERE] Florida’s governor has declared war on mandatory COVID-19 vaccination. At a Thursday news conference in Clearwater, Gov. Ron DeSantis laid out a litany of legislative policy priorities that would undermine federal requirements that workers be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Among the laws DeSantis wants to see passed:

▪ A proposal making businesses liable for any medical harm that results from a mandatory vaccination

▪ An addendum to the 2021 law protecting businesses from coronavirus-related liability undoing those protections if businesses mandate vaccination for their employees

▪ A measure allowing parents to collect attorney’s fees if they win a lawsuit against a school district for enacting illegal coronavirus restrictions

▪ A law making it clear that it’s illegal for governments to mandate the vaccine for government employees DeSantis said he’s planning to call a special session in November so the Republican-controlled Legislature can consider these and other measures that he said would protect employees from an overreaching government. “Quite frankly, this would have been something we would have done last legislative session,” DeSantis said. “If I honestly thought this would be something that would get this far, we would have made it a big priority.” The regularly scheduled legislative session starts Jan. 11, 2022.

The governor’s announcement was not a formal list of policy proposals. Instead, surrounded by supporters, Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo and Attorney General Ashley Moody, DeSantis rattled off ideas for new laws. It’s unclear how they’ll fare in the Legislature, but the state’s Republican leadership has rarely strayed far from the governor’s policy agenda in the past. Before DeSantis’ news conference ended, House Speaker Chris Sprowls’ office sent a memo to members saying he did not have details on the governor’s call for a special session. But later Thursday afternoon, Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, issued a joint statement in which they offered support for a special session. “In the coming days, we will review the governor’s specific proposals as well as discuss our own ideas for legislative action,” the statement said. “During the upcoming special session, our goal is to make our laws even more clear that Florida stands as refuge for families and businesses who want to live in freedom.” Florida business leaders said they have yet to see the details of the governor’s proposals. [MORE]