IN-DEPTH: Florida Leads Conservative Legislative Wave With Flurry of Bills

After passing a flurry of conservative bills, Florida’s Republican-controlled legislature appears to lead the nation in conservative-values legislation.

On April 19, state house Republicans passed a measure to stop drag performances in front of children—a priority of Gov. Ron DeSantis. The bill would punish those who allow children to attend “lewd” performances.

The state can pull the license of any establishment that allows a child to attend a performance. Or it can issue a $5,000 fine for a first offense, and a $10,000 fine for a second offense and beyond.

The Republican, elected to his second term in November 2022, is expected to announce a presidential run after the Florida legislative session ends on May 5.

DeSantis and Florida’s lawmakers have led the conservative way on many parental rights issues and protection for children, even as Republicans in red states such as Texas are wrestling to pass school choice and gender-modification bans.

Florida Speaker of the House Paul Renner told The Epoch Times that red state leaders must have the courage to stand up against threats to children.

“I think we’re facing a cultural revolution right now that needs to be addressed, and we need to win that battle,” Renner said. “The victims of that cultural revolution, first and foremost, are our children.”

Renner said he believes that Florida will pass more conservative bills this year than in the past.

“I think it’s just all about stepping out with the courage of your convictions, knowing that the prevailing winds are certainly hostile and promoting this kind of cultural revolution that’s taking place,” he said.

“And we have to be able to say that this is a departure from common sense,” he said.

The Florida Legislature passed a universal school choice bill on March 23, creating Education Savings Accounts for families.

The Florida law gives parents $8,000 for expenses such as tuition for private schools, tutoring, textbooks, and even homeschooling.

The Center for Education Reform, a pro-school choice group that issues an index ranking states based on parental rights, listed Florida as No. 1 and the only red state to receive an A based on the latest report.

In his State of the State address in March, DeSantis pointed out Florida’s strength in pushing back against a “woke” ideology that has swept across the nation’s schools.

Part of his parental rights platform involves parents’ ability to opt out of gender ideology in schools, which are required to inform parents on issues such as gender dysphoria.

He has also spoken against the sexualization of children and drag shows.

“We ranked No. 1 in the nation for education freedom. We ranked No. 1 in the nation for parental involvement in education,” DeSantis said during his address.

The Florida Legislature has been instrumental in pushing back against radical gender and race ideology that critics call cultural Marxism.

In a testament to that, the Human Rights Campaign, a Left-wing organization, spotlighted Florida as “the right-wing test market” for anti-LGBT policies, such as laws limiting gender instruction for K–3 grades.

On April 19, the Florida Legislature passed The Protection of Children Act (SB1438), which now heads to the governor for his signature, where it will become law immediately.

The bill prohibits children from being exposed to live “adult performances” that include lewd or sexual behavior. Businesses allowing drag performances could see licenses revoked or fines for thousands of dollars.

LGBT advocates contend banning drag performances could impact gay pride events.

But Republicans questioned why drag show proponents were determined to expose children to sexuality.

Two other bills to protect children made it through the House on April 19 aimed at gender ideology and the sexualization of children.

The Treatments for Sex Reassignment bill (SB 254), would make it a felony to provide minors with hormone blockers or sex-change procedures.

The bill gives courts temporary emergency jurisdiction over a minor if the child has been subjected to, or is threatened with, sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures. The legislation must go through another vote in the Senate before heading to the governor.

Democrats debated the bill targeting transgender people, saying they were already marginalized in society and decisions on gender modification should be left to the parents and children.

But Republicans said they felt it was necessary to protect children from medical procedures before they could understand the consequences, which could result in adverse medical outcomes, including infertility.

Sen. Clay Yarborough (R), who sponsored the bill banning child sex reassignment and drag shows for children, told The Epoch Times in an email that the bills are a response to Florida parents concerned about the “radical, prurient agenda” targeting young children.

“As lawmakers, we have to draw the line when drastic, life-altering gender dysphoria therapies and surgeries are mutilating young children,” he said.

“We also have a responsibility to protect children from viewing lewd conduct that is patently offensive to prevailing standards in our communities,” he added.

Yarborough said lawmakers must stand against a “troubling social agenda that seeks to indoctrinate young children and replace the role of parents.”

That includes stopping businesses that knowingly admit children to view performances meant for an adult audience, or schools that allow pornographic instructional materials that promote promiscuity, he said.

“This legislation sends a strong message that Florida is a safe place to raise children. As the father of four young boys, I know that childhood is as special as it is short,” he said.

Another bill passed by the House called the Safety and Private Spaces Act (HB 1521), would regulate restrooms and changing facilities based on biological sex.

If a person of the opposite biological sex doesn’t leave when asked, the person could face misdemeanor charges. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Renner said the bill is about common sense. Predatory men could claim to be women to access a girl’s restroom, for example.

Also on April 19, the Florida Board of Education expanded the Parental Rights in Education bill by prohibiting teaching students about sexual orientation and gender ideology in all K–12 public schools.

The Florida Board of Education approved a rule that extends the Parental Rights in Education bill beyond the K–3 grades to include grades 4–12 in most cases.

DeSantis who says he is a champion of parental rights even involved himself at the local level by endorsing conservative school board candidates, initially signed the bill into law last year barring gender identity and sexual orientation in K–3.

The bill was dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law by opponents, although it contained no such language.

The same law sparked a feud between DeSantis and Disney after the company put out a statement saying it would work against the parental rights law. Disney lost its status as a special district as a result.

The rapid-fire passage of legislation protecting children from sexualization and extreme gender ideology drew sharp criticism from the Left.

Democratic Rep. Rita Harris of Orlando became emotional when the bathroom bill was up for a vote.

“That’s what this bill is going to do. It’s going to hurt people,” she sobbed while holding a tissue as another woman hugged and patted her back.

Left-wing protesters surrounded, cursed, and shouted at several Moms for Liberty members who showed up supporting the parental rights bills.

In the video released by the group, one woman with a shaved haircut kept yelling profanities demanding for police to let them by as others chanted.