COVID-19 restrictions and mandates face the opposition of Florida’s Republican lawmakers yet again as the state legislature kicked off a debate on the matter. Ron DeSantis, a member of the GOP and Florida Governor, has often shown hesitancy to have such restrictions in the state.

The sessions in Flordia’s legislative houses have been allocated one full week of discussion time and will address the possibility of parents having the ability to sue educational institutions with masking requirements and letting workers opt out of COVID vaccine mandates. 

Also Read: Florida sues Joe Biden administration over vaccine mandates

DeSantis, who has also hinted at a Presidential run in 2024, has often voiced his disagreement with federal rules set by the administration of United States President Joe Biden. According to reports from Associated Press, the 43-year-old politician is one of the most high profile Republican Governors to do so.

The measures introduced by the Republican lawmakers, who also hold the voting majority in the legislative chambers, will restrict businesses from invoking COVID-19 related mandates. 

Businesses would reportedly not be permitted to have vaccine mandates unless exemptions are also introduced alongside. These include not getting a vaccine citing medical and religious reasons and determining protection on the basis of regular testing.

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Employers would be subject to fines up to $50,000 for firing a worker without offering the proposed exemptions. Another provision bars COVID-19 vaccine mandates for public school and government workers in the state of Florida, according to reports from Associated Press.

GOP lawmakers are also moving to allow parents to sue school districts with mask mandates. The Governor’s administration has previously docked the salaries of school board members who defied a state ban on mask requirements in classrooms and slashed overall funding to districts that received a federal grant to offset the state penalties. School districts have since eased their masking rules.

(With AP inputs)