As 2022 Session approaches, Democratic Leader Pro-Tempore and Chair of the Legislative
Black Caucus calls on Ron DeSantis to put Floridians first and cease divisive agenda
With Christmas just days away, and the 2022 legislative session poised to begin less than one month later, state Senator Bobby Powell (D-West Palm Beach) on Wednesday called on Governor Ron DeSantis to remember the true reason for the Christian holiday, and rethink the divisive agenda he’s pushing for the upcoming year:
“As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, I strongly urge Governor DeSantis to reflect on the fanatical agenda he is endorsing for the coming year, and its stark contrast with the true meaning of the season.
“Sadly, here in Florida, the words ‘peace, good will toward men’ are absent from this governor’s message, especially in his reelection drive. For Floridians who look like me, or shades thereof, his agenda is decidedly unwelcome and anything but peaceful. It’s about locking us up and locking us out, all while selectively plucking the words of Martin Luther King to somehow make this racist targeting okay.
“It’s not okay. It’s not okay to push what he calls ‘anti-woke legislation’ that’s a smoke screen for sanitizing history and erasing the lessons of the past. It’s not okay to threaten teachers with litigation for simply teaching. It’s not okay to muzzle those whose heritage was defined by Jim Crow or unleash those who have never moved beyond its hateful intent.
“Just as kindness, compassion, and hope embody the spirit of Christmas, so, too, should Florida’s top executive emulate these same qualities. The governor of the third largest state in the union should have more to offer Floridians than his attempts to re-ignite the American Civil War.”
