Gov. Ron DeSantis announces his proposed budget from the Capitol on Feb. 3, 2025. Credit: Photo by Jay Waagmeester

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ latest jab at the Florida House came during a press conference Monday, when the governor criticized the lower chamber’s lack of action on a bill that would prohibit police from stopping boats to conduct safety inspections.

This legislative session has been marked by DeSantis’ public condemnation of the House’s moves to override his budget vetoes, cut the sales tax, and question executive agency heads. The governor’s comments during the press conference in Panama City Beach focused on legislation (SB 1388 and HB 1001) the chamber hasn’t taken up, as the time to do so is beginning to wind down.

“If it doesn’t pass the House, it’s only because of them taking an obstructionist bent, not because it doesn’t have support from the vast majority of folks throughout the state of Florida,” DeSantis said during the event in Treasure Island Marina.

While the legislation, known as the “Boater Freedom Act,” hasn’t moved in the House, it is scheduled for its second of three hearings in the Senate on Thursday.

Panama City Republican Sen. Jay Trumbull joined DeSantis but refrained from bashing the House, instead saying that Republican Rep. Philip Griffitts of Panama City Beach “is working hard to try to get the bill up in the House.”

Aside from making violations of safety and marine sanitation regulations a secondary offense, the bill preempts local governments from restricting use of water vessels based on their power source, such as gas or diesel.

House Speaker Daniel Perez on Thursday told reporters that his conversations with DeSantis remained cordial but said the governor’s videos slamming him and the House on X were “mind-boggling” and “disheartening.”

“For some reason, it seems the last week or so the governor has been a little more emotional and has been upset and has done on his videos to voice his opinions in another way. He has every right to do so,” Perez said.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.

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This article appears in Apr 3-9, 2025.