4 big issues to watch in Florida’s 2023 legislative session

(NewsNation) — Florida’s legislature session starts Tuesday, where lawmakers from across the aisle are set to bring their ideas of what Florida needs to the forefront and the Senate and House floors hoping to gain their colleagues’ support and provide changes and relief for state residents.

Heading in, more than 1,000 bills have already been filed, focused on education, tax relief, immigration, criminal justice reform and more.

This comes as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ State of the State speech is likely to be more about making a case to lead the country rather than an assessment of Florida’s future. Tuesday’s address comes as DeSantis builds momentum for a presidential run.

While the GOP has a supermajority, here are four proposed laws to watch as the 2023 Florida Legislature starts its normal session:

Education

Changes to Florida’s curriculum, education rules and even teacher conduct are all on the table this session. From changes to higher education and restrictions on not only what can be taught but how, to reductions in how many students are learning about reproductive health, Florida lawmakers have already introduced at least 10 bills aimed at removing “indoctrination” and “ideology” from the public school system, including pre-K to colleges and universities.

House Bill 999 would prohibit state universities from any programs or hiring practices involving “diversity, equity and inclusion.” It would also outlaw any university major or minors in “gender studies” or anything related to them.

Rights & regulations

Florida is introducing several reforms to litigation and putting up what it calls protections for free speech and even some requirements for writers who cover politics to put themselves on a state registry. 

Lawmakers will also have to make a decision to ban certain social media sites. HB 991 would make it easier to sue the media for defamation by changing what constitutes a public figure, making anonymous quotes “presumed to be false by default,” and saying that accusing someone of discrimination constitutes defamation. This would drastically change defamation protections from the Supreme Court, dating back nearly 60 years.

Abortion and LGBTQ+ rights & restrictions

After 2022’s passage of HB 5, which restricted abortion access in Florida to 15 weeks of gestation, lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis have said they want to make those restrictions even broader, pushing the limit back from 15 weeks to just six.

Even if the bill clears both chambers and gets DeSantis’ signature, which he’s already promised to provide, the proposal will likely face legal challenges, while contests of HB 5 continue in Florida courts.

Senate Bill 254 prohibits gender-affirming care for minors under the age of 18.

The proposed law would make it possible for parents to lose custody of their children if they “subject the child to the provision of sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures.”

Gun rights & control

Lawmakers are taking two approaches to gun rights and gun control in Florida. Some lawmakers are proposing a complete removal of restrictions for carrying a concealed firearm in the state, another policy that DeSantis has promised to approve of, while other lawmakers instead want to track and potentially limit who can buy ammo, who it can be given to, and whether or not you should have a background check to do so.

Meanwhile, the outset of a 60-day legislative session has added significance this year because it will likely be used to launch DeSantis into a highly anticipated presidential campaign.

“When you are leading, when you are out there setting the agenda, and not just for Florida but really for the nation which we’ve done over the last few years. People see that,” DeSantis said about the legislative session.

DeSantis believes this will be the most productive legislative session yet, and that has a lot to do with the Republican-dominated legislature. This isn’t just about Florida, DeSantis believes Florida serves as an example to the rest of the country.

Though DeSantis is unlikely to formally announce a presidential campaign until the Legislature wraps its work in May, he’s already making big moves toward a White House bid. He participated in a high-profile donor retreat last week in Florida before traveling to California, where he delivered a broadside against what he argued were excesses of liberalism. Later this week, he’ll travel for the first time this year to Iowa, which will host the nation’s first presidential caucuses in 2024.

NewsNation affiliate WFLA and The Associated Press contributed to this report.