FILE - This Tuesday, April 23, 2019, record photograph shows the Florida Capitol successful Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida lawmakers connected Monday began debating a bundle of bills to combat coronavirus vaccine mandates, continuing Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ combat against microorganism rules.

The weeklong peculiar legislative league successful the GOP-controlled statehouse includes proposals to fto workers opt retired of COVID-19 vaccine mandates and let parents to writer schools with masking requirements.

DeSantis has go 1 of the highest illustration Republican governors successful the state done his vocal absorption to lockdowns and microorganism mandates, pitting himself against President Joe Biden arsenic DeSantis runs for reelection and eyes a imaginable 2024 statesmanlike bid.

The Republican measures would barroom backstage businesses from having coronavirus vaccine mandates unless they let exemptions for aesculapian reasons, spiritual beliefs, impervious of immunity based connected a anterior COVID-19 infection, regular investigating and an statement to deterioration protective gear. Employers would beryllium taxable to fines up to $50,000 for firing a idiosyncratic without offering the exemptions. Another proviso bars COVID-19 vaccine mandates for nationalist schoolhouse and authorities workers successful Florida.

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Republicans are besides moving to let parents to writer schoolhouse districts with disguise mandates. The governor’s medication has antecedently docked the salaries of schoolhouse committee members who defied a authorities prohibition connected disguise requirements successful classrooms and slashed wide backing to districts that received a national assistance to offset the authorities penalties. School districts person since eased their masking rules.

Democrats person denounced the peculiar league arsenic governmental theatre meant to rise DeSantis' lasting wrong the GOP.

“I americium sick and bushed of having to beryllium a pawn successful Gov. Ron DeSantis' governmental ambitions," said Rep. Anna Eskamani, an Orlando Democrat.

The DeSantis medication has antecedently sued the White House implicit a regularisation requiring vaccinations for national contractors and precocious joined much than 2 twelve different Republican-led states successful lawsuits challenging different national vaccine mandate for backstage businesses with 100 employees oregon more.

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