Florida governor wants to punish schools that forced kids to wear masks

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In what seems to be a turning tide, Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has followed through on his threat to defund school districts that defy his ban on mask mandates.

On Friday, Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran announced the state would withhold funds for two school districts, Broward County and Alachua County, according to Miami Herald reporter Ana Ceballos.

It appears the funds being withheld are payroll funds for “school board members who voted to impose a mask mandate.” The action will go into effect next week unless they reverse course before then.

Florida is additionally seeking compensation for hurt students.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis advocated cutting US$200 million in education funds from a dozen counties that disobeyed the state’s prohibition on mask mandates in schools, saying that parents should be compensated for the damages such requirements do to kids.

The House granted preliminary permission to the penalty as part of a US$105.3 billion state budget for the upcoming year, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. The counties of Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Leon, Alachua, and Volusia would be affected.

In particular, Republican state Rep. Randy Fine’s proposal reduces funding in the designated jurisdictions that pay the wages of administrators earning more than US$100,000 per year. These education funds would then be transferred to the remaining counties in Florida.

“Most students didn’t want to wear masks in the first place!” DeSantis said. “Let’s also give parents recourse for harms imposed on their kids due to this defiance. They should get compensated for academic, social, and emotional problems caused by these policies.”

Just seven states (including the District of Columbia and a few US territories) have statewide mask laws in place.

Many on the left have argued that the move was justified by scientific knowledge. Still, skeptics believe the crucial element was internal polling, such as that conducted by New Jersey Democratic Governor Phil Murphy’s team, which showed that forced masking is highly controversial.

DeSantis has vigorously pursued a litany of conservative priorities since assuming office in 2019, along with religious freedom, conscience rights, and the objective truth of biological sex, with a special emphasis on countering Covid-related lockdowns and regulations, elevating his profile as a prospective 2024 presidential candidate in the eyes of conservatives.

Many of his fans are watching with bated breath to see whether he will sign or reject a bill that would provide hospitals liability immunity for Covid treatment.