© 2024 WLRN
MIAMI | SOUTH FLORIDA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Florida Congressional Democrats aim at DeSantis in bill to override bans on COVID mandates

Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida may have "vanquished the ghosts of Bush versus Gore." Video image: The Florida Channel
The Florida Channel
Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida may have "vanquished the ghosts of Bush versus Gore." Video image: The Florida Channel

WASHINGTON

A group of Florida Democrats in Congress unveiled legislation on Friday aimed at allowing local governments and private businesses to impose their own COVID rules — and ignore any state laws that are imposed by the Florida Legislature.

U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel introduced the Let Our Cities And Local businesses Help Employees Achieve Long-Term Health (LOCAL HEALTH) Act, a bill that would allow local governments and private businesses to pursue COVID mitigation efforts such as a vaccine or mask mandates. Frankel said the U.S. Constitution’s interstate commerce clause, which gives Congress the power to regulate commerce between states, gives Washington the authority to overrule any vaccine passport or mask mandate bans that become law at the state level.

“This seems to be a race to the bottom by governors wanting to score points with a certain political wing of the country,” Frankel said. “Communities that want to follow CDC guidelines should be supported, not punished.”

Read more at our news partner the Miami Herald.

More On This Topic