Florida House again rejects Gov. Ron DeSantis’ AI, vaccine measures during special session
Florida House again rejects Gov. Ron DeSantis’ AI, vaccine measures during special session
Publish Date: 2026-04-28 14:52:00
Source Domain: www.cbsnews.com
Two key priorities of Gov. Ron DeSantis that failed to advance in the regular legislative session were discarded as the House opened a special session on Tuesday.
House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, said the House remains “fairly clear on our position” against the proposals to expand vaccine exemptions for public K-12 students (SB 6D) and to protect consumers’ interactions with artificial intelligence (SB 2D and SB 4D).
“I feel confident that the position of this body on not moving on either of those issues was the right issue,” Perez told reporters after the after the quick floor session to begin the special session.
DeSantis was quick to criticize the House, posting on X that “voters elected Republicans to protect freedom against both the Big Tech cartel and the medical industrial complex.”
He noted that not a single House member filed a bill on either issue since he added the two issues to his call to redraw congressional district lines in a special session on April 15.
“Will be interesting to see these guys campaign as Big Tech enthusiasts and guardians of the medical industrial complex,” DeSantis posted.
After the House move, the Senate on Tuesday opted not to advance the vaccine exemption proposal. In the regular session, the measure (SB 1756) was approved by the Senate in a 23-15 vote, and it was expected to draw numerous speakers this week when presented in committee.
But the Senate still voted 37-1 in support of the AI bill. Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, was the only no vote.
Grall maintained the measure “weakens protections for parents.” And she called it “despicable” that advertising around this bill, which was retweeted in the morning by DeSantis, painted those opposing the measure as “somehow a Jeffrey Epstein sympathizer.”
“We have lulled parents into believing that we are actually protecting children when we are not,” Grall said.
The bill allowing for more exemptions to vaccine requirements for children attending K-12 schools garnered…
