TALLAHASSEE, FL --- After a late start amid a raging storm, Gov. DeSantis delivered his 2024 State of the State address. He hit on topics such as education, Israel, and immigration, emphasizing Florida's existence as a "fre e state".
"2024 is going to be a banner year for the state if Florida," The Governor began Tuesday morning, speaking to the Florida legislators during the House Chamber's joint session.
"We have chosen facts over fear. We have chosen education over indoctrination. We have chosen law and order over rioting and disorder. We have chosen fiscal responsibility over debt and profligacy," He said, "Our choices have produced results that are second to none."
On K-12 Education and Parental Rights: "Let Kids be Kids"
"Florida is the education state," He said, "Florida also leads the nation in protecting the rights of parents. We were one of the first states in the country to enact a Parents Bill of Rights and to enact curriculum transparency."
The 2022 Parents Bill of Rights--monikered the "Don't Say Gay" Law by the left--prohibits teachings of sexuality from Kindergarten through third grade. Last year, it was expanded, banning these teachings from Pre-K through eighth grade.
"We have protected our children from indoctrination and sexualization of the curriculum. We must always protect the innocence of our children: let kids be kids!" DeSantis said.
He then announced a $1.25 billion budget allocation for increased teacher pay, so as to "recruit and retain great teachers."
On Israel: "Intellectual Rot" On Campuses
"The state of Florida stepped up," He said, explaining the hundreds of Floridians stranded in Israel following Hamas' October 7th attack on Israel, "We organized evacuation flights, and we rescued more than 700 Americans and brought them back home."
.@GovRonDeSantis highlights several of his major accomplishments of 2023 during his 2024 State of the State address #FlPol pic.twitter.com/1NJrl6y4MZ
— The Floridian (@Floridianpress) January 9, 2024
DeSantis turned to events taken mere weeks ago by the Florida legislature during the special session: "We passed expanded sanctions on the country responsible ultimately for these heinous attacks: the Islamic Republic of Iran. They were behind the attacks, they funded the attacks, and we are going to do everything we can to stop having money flow into the coffers of that regime."
He urged Jewish college students to come to Florida, as the "Pro-Hamas activities and rampant antisemitism that we've witnessed throughout the country on campuses has exposed the intellectual rot that has developed on so many university campuses." He promised Florida will "waive minimum credit requirements application deadlines for transfers."
On Colleges and Universities: "DEI: Discrimination, Exclusion, Indoctrination"
"We reject the modern trend of universities that subordinate high academic standards in favor of promoting an ideological agenda," The Governor said, referring to DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives on college campuses, "We have eliminated so-called DEI from our public universities,"
"DEI is a highly ideological agenda. In practice, it stands for discrimination, exclusion, and indoctrination, and that has no place in our public institutions."
He turned to New College, a college recently revamped by the governor and headed up by a DeSantis ally--Richard Corcoran: "New College is on its way to being the premier classical public liberal arts college in America. The reforms instituted by the New College Board of Trustees and by President Richard Corcoran have transformed the college from an outpost of ideological indoctrination into an institution rooted in truth."
On Immigration: "Every State is a Border State"
"We can't just sit idly by while we continue to see a massive invasion across this country. The federal government's not doing anything to stop this--we in Florida are picking up the slack," He said, explaining how Florida troopers to Texas to assist in border operations.
"We have banned sanctuary cities and we've passed policies to deter illegal immigration into our state," He continued, "The Biden border crisis has made every state a border state, and Florida is fighting back."
Other issues he touched on included lowering taxes, lauding hurricane cleanup efforts, pushing for more conservation efforts, and preventing fentanyl trafficking.
The Governor is expected to head to Iowa later today to continue his presidential campaign.
