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The Conversation with Dasha Burns

DeSantis & the Florida speaker are just getting started. Here’s what’s next.

The Conversation with Dasha Burns

POLITICO

News, Government, Politics

4.01.6K Ratings

🗓️ 14 April 2023

⏱️ 42 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week, Florida’s statehouse cleared the way for Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign a six-week abortion ban. The man who shepherded the bill, House Speaker Paul Renner, joins Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza for this episode of Playbook Deep Dive.  You might not know Renner’s name – but you definitely know his work:  A bill to ban surgeries and prescription treatments for transgender minors, which has passed the state Senate and Renner will soon push through the House One of the most comprehensive new school voucher laws in the country Legislation removing books with sexual content from Florida public schools A major tort reform bill, big tax cuts And if he gets around to it this session: a bill aimed at over-turning the 1964 New York Times v. Sullivan decision, the most important First Amendment ruling of the last century All of this is aimed at Renner’s other project: helping Gov. Ron DeSantis build a record of accomplishments in Florida on which he can base his presidential campaign.  While Republicans have created a legislative assembly line that is spitting out laws to change seemingly every aspect of life in Florida, a big question suddenly hangs over their project:  Are they building a record of accomplishments that can launch the DeSantis rocket to the White House? Or are they weighing down the governor with so much right-wing baggage that he crashes upon liftoff? Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Paul Renner is the speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.Afra Abdullah is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is the executive producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

It's the day before Florida passes a six-week abortion ban, and I'm in Tallahassee sitting

0:09.0

across the table from the man who is shepherding the bill through the state legislature.

0:14.1

Paul Renner, Florida's powerful speaker of the house.

0:18.5

You might not know Renner's name, but you definitely know his work.

0:22.3

A bill to ban surgeries and prescription treatments for transgender minors, which has

0:26.9

passed the state senate, and Renner will soon push through the house.

0:31.3

One of the most comprehensive new school voucher laws in the country.

0:35.8

Legislation, removing books with sexual content from Florida public schools.

0:40.4

A major toward reform bill, big tax cuts.

0:44.4

And if he gets around to it this session, a bill aimed at overturning the 1964 Times-V

0:50.0

Sullivan decision, the most important First Amendment ruling of the last century.

0:55.6

All of this is aimed at Renner's other project, helping Governor Ron DeSantis build a record

1:01.7

of accomplishments in Florida on which he can base his presidential campaign.

1:07.5

At the start of the year, Renner promised that he and DeSantis and their Republican colleagues

1:12.6

would use their supermajority in the legislature to achieve, quote, transformational change

1:18.2

in Florida.

1:19.2

They weren't kidding.

1:21.2

We fight the woke in the legislature.

1:23.6

We fight the woke in the schools.

1:25.8

We fight the woke in the corporations.

1:27.9

We will never ever surrender to the woke mob.

1:31.7

Florida is where woke goes to die.

...

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