America’s Governor Pledges New Protections Against COVID Mandates

• Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis pledged Thursday to bring forward legislation further protecting individuals from discrimination based on whether they’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19.
• Many of the state’s COVID-19 related rules are expected to expire in July, but DeSantis plans to push for further protections from vaccine-related discrimination along with protection from forced masking policies. The announcement came during a press conference about the state’s plans to lower prescription drug costs.
• “We were the first state in the country to ban COVID vaccine passports in the spring of 2021, almost two years ago,” DeSantis continued.
• The governor also pledged to further limit mask requirements, suggesting that private businesses shouldn’t be allowed to impose masking requirements on individuals.