By Andrew Powell | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed legislation to make permanent the protections against what the governor calls "the COVID-19 biomedical security state."
The news conference was held in Panama City Beach and DeSantis joined Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo to unveil the governor’s plans to protect the rights of Floridians.
Included will be First Amendment rights guarantees for medical professionals, ensuring no one loses their job or medical license for giving their qualified opinions in Florida.
The proposed legislation will also offer protection for medical professionals from discrimination based on their personal religious views.
There will be a permanent prohibition of mandates, including permanently prohibiting COVID-19 vaccine passports in Florida and mask requirements in all Florida schools, as well as masking requirements at businesses.
Employers will be permanently prohibited from hiring or firing an employee based on their COVID-19 vaccine status.
The governor said that he and Dr. Ladapo had been working with the Florida Legislature to protect freedom of speech for physicians, and according to DeSantis, the Republican majority in the Florida House and State Senate are ready to pass his proposal.
"The free state of Florida did not happen by accident, because it required us over these last few years to stand against major institutions in our society," DeSantis said, adding that these institutions worked together to impose a "biomedical security state on society."
DeSantis said that during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Florida led the way in several areas, including speaking out against lockdowns, vaccine mandates and mask mandates in schools while other states doubled down to the detriment of their constituents.
"We believe that there’s no turning back from our direction, we need to continue to lead…by making all of these protections permanent in Florida statute, which we are going to do in the upcoming legislative session," DeSantis said, adding that the permanent reforms will give Floridians peace of mind.
DeSantis emphasized that Florida has become a refuge in the United States because of the commonsense approach to leadership surrounding the pandemic.
"When the world lost its mind, Florida was a refuge of sanity, serving strongly as freedom’s linchpin," said DeSantis. "These measures will ensure Florida remains this way and will provide landmark protections for free speech for medical practitioners."
Dr. Ladapo pointed out that he had personally witnessed discrimination against physicians who did not follow CDC and other federal guidelines regarding COVID-19.
"As a health sciences researcher and physician, I have personally witnessed accomplished scientists receive threats due to their unorthodox positions," Ladapo said.
"Many of these positions have proven to be correct, as we’ve all seen over the past few years," Lapado said. "All medical professionals should be encouraged to engage in scientific discourse without fearing for their livelihoods or their careers."