Washington Post: “The agency will be the first of its kind in the nation. Its staff of 25 will be part of the Department of State, which answers to DeSantis. Both chambers approved its creation by wide margins after debate that had Democrats invoking the name of the late civil rights leader John Lewis and a Republican representative making reference to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. The governor has indicated he will sign the measure into law.”
He is threatening to call back the Florida legislature into special session and pressure them to approve his plan to eliminate not only the north Florida seat held by Democratic Rep. Al Lawson but also the Orlando-area district held by another Black Democrat, Rep. Val Demings. DeSantis may haul Florida legislators into special session as he targets Black-held congressional seats Florida lawmakers gave their Republican governor nearly everything he demanded during the current legislative session, which ends today. They passed restrictions on abortion, immigration and teaching about race and sexual orientation and gender. They gave him the election fraud police force he said is necessary and capitulated to his threat to veto a water bill pushed by the sugar industry but opposed by Everglades advocates. But NBC News reports that the GOP governor, who is running for reelection in November and many expect to run for president in 2024, is spoiling for a court fight over what’s known as a “minority access” congressional seat in north Florida held by a Black Democrat. He is threatening to call back the Florida legislature into special session and pressure them to approve his plan to eliminate not only the north Florida seat held by Democratic Rep. Al Lawson but also the Orlando-area district held by another Black Democrat, Rep. Val Demings.