Session eve
The 2021 Legislative Session is about to begin.
Also, on today’s Sunrise:
— The Session beginning tomorrow is like nothing we’ve seen or heard before, thanks to the COVID-19 crisis. The people who run the legislature have imposed new restrictions and have all but closed The Capitol to the public in order to reduce the threat of infection. But by doing so, they may have cut the public out of the process.
— Officials with the League of Women Voters, Florida Rising, Common Cause and the Southern Poverty Law Center all believe lawmakers are taking advantage of the pandemic limits on public participation to advance a far-right agenda without having to look their victims in the eye.
— Speaking of conservative agendas, Gov. Ron DeSantis had a starring role at the CPAC convention in Orlando over the weekend. The Governor used that platform to unveil the “DeSantis Doctrine,” saying this is NOT your father’s GOP.
— DeSantis urged conservatives to follow the example set by Rush Limbaugh, who turned talk radio into a partisan political weapon after repeal of what was known as the “Fairness Doctrine.”
— The Governor signed an executive order modifying the COVID-19 vaccine program. Shots are still set aside for seniors, but the new order allows physicians, nurses and pharmacists to vaccinate people under the age of 65 if they have medical conditions making them extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. It will be interesting to see how many people suddenly discover they have those conditions.
— Speaking of COVID-19, the state reported 126 new fatalities Sunday; 1,127 names were added over the past week over the past week and the death toll has reached 31,406.
— And finally, two Florida Women who were dealing with stun guns and parking problems.