Florida’s Department of Education announced Monday that it is withholding funds from two school districts that defied Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order forcing schools to not require masks during a deadly pandemic.
Education commissioner Richard Corcoran said they will withhold funds each month, until the school boards—in Alachua and Broward counties—comply. This move comes after a court ruled last week that DeSantis had no authority to issue this order.
Broward County superintendent Vickie Cartwright said “the health and safety of our students, teachers and staff continue to be our main priorities.”
DeSantis knows that kids are dying over this. In just one day, on August 26, COVID-19 deaths in the Sunshine State hit 900. (Keep that in mind when Fox wants to whine about Afghanistan.) Last week, the state reported over 150,000 new cases of COVID-19— most of them children.
DeSantis simply doesn’t care.
Brian Burgess, one of the governor’s ardent supporters, justifies DeSantis’ killing of citizens.
Anyone with an ounce of political experience knows that DeSantis simply cannot back down at this point or he's toast with the rank-and-file GOP base who love the unshakeable confidence he seems to have in himself.
Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell sums up the rest of the story well. Burgess, who is both publisher and editor-in-chief of conservative media site The Capitolist, has deep ties to Rick Scott.
The Biden administration said it would give financial assistance to districts that see their funding gutted by evil GOP governors like Texas’ Greg Abbott and DeathSantis. I expect, however, that a legal injunction will be issued to block the department from penalizing the districts trying to protect the kids. It’s sad that we have to fight our own government during a pandemic, but this is who we elect.
Remember:
Do better, Florida.
Nikki Fried for Governor
