The governor announced his position from his favorite pulpit to share policy updates, primetime hours on Fox News. On an episode of the Ingraham Angle, where he shared the screen with several people who had violated lockdown regulations, DeSantis told Floridians there would be no consequences for their reckless behavior.
"We'll issue pardons…for any Floridian that may have outstanding infractions for things like masks and social distancing," he said. "These things, with health, should be advisory. They should not be punitive."
Floridians should not be penalized for rejecting the overreach of local authorities through unnecessary mask mandates. pic.twitter.com/vf0HHfg3lY
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 13, 2021
The interview is of a piece with DeSantis' recent moves on COVID-19 regulations. Ahead of a bill that would strip Florida municipalities of home rule when it comes to emergency orders, DeSantis passed an executive order that nullified all local coronavirus mandates from local governments in the state.
This article first appeared at our sister publication Orlando Weekly.
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This article appears in May 13-19, 2021.