Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, shown last month with Gov. Ron DeSantis, issued a statement Tuesday about an incident with Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton. Credit: Photo via NSF
State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo is scheduled Tuesday to go before the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee for a confirmation hearing, after facing heavy criticism from Democrats during a similar hearing last month.

Ladapo, who was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in September, has become a controversial figure because of his views on handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ladapo and DeSantis, in part, have rejected mask and vaccination requirements. During a Jan. 26 meeting of the Senate Health Policy Committee, Democrats walked out before a vote because they said Ladapo was not answering their questions.

The majority Republicans on the committee voted for his confirmation.

The surgeon general doubles as secretary of the Florida Department of Health.
If backed by the Ethics and Elections Committee, he would go to the full Senate for a confirmation vote.

This article appears in Feb 3-9, 2022.