TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a restrictive abortion invoice at an evangelical church earlier than enthusiastic supporters in one among Florida’s largest media markets.
But that was final yr, when DeSantis banned abortions after 15 weeks.
This yr DeSantis signed an much more restrictive invoice, banning abortion after six weeks, within the privateness of his workplace on Thursday simply earlier than midnight. There was no throng of supporters to have a good time, no packs of reporters throwing out scores of questions and documenting the second and no tv cameras – and Tallahassee is among the state’s smallest media markets.
It’s no less than the third main piece of conservative laws the potential presidential candidate has signed in personal this yr with no advance media discover, following payments to permit authorized gun homeowners to hold hid weapons with no allow and to broaden Florida’s college voucher program.
Doing so would possibly mirror extra his angle towards mainstream media somewhat than a concern of signing controversial payments in public.
Where, when and the way DeSantis indicators a invoice makes no distinction on how new legal guidelines will have an effect on Floridians. Bill-signing ceremonies are primarily about bringing consciousness to new legal guidelines and giving governors consideration. And points like weapons, college vouchers and abortion are going to obtain huge media consideration whether or not there’s a ceremony or not.
His determination to signal laws privately frustrates reporters and gives fodder for Democrats, however it shouldn’t be a shock. DeSantis has blown up the standard playbook on media relations to the purpose the place he freely states he doesn’t want or care about mainstream media, which he calls company or legacy media.
“Legacy media, anything that I do, immediately they’re going to react against,” DeSantis mentioned at Hillsdale College in Michigan final week. “A number of Republicans, they get apprehensive about being attacked by the media, they fear about getting smeared, it’s not something good. I don’t learn any of it, so I don’t actually care. “
He recurrently mentions that he wanted a recount to win his first time period after which gained reelection by a bigger quantity than another Florida Republican governor regardless of his rocky relationship with the media.
“The idea that I could go from 32,000 votes to 1.5 million votes having more negative media attacking me than any other governor, I would say, probably, in modern American history, that should show you that there are people out there – voters – they see all through the smoke and they’re just looking for some truth in a very convoluted, strange time,” DeSantis mentioned.
The governor’s communications workplace didn’t instantly reply to an electronic mail looking for touch upon the personal invoice signings.
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