Florida's 2023 special session closed on November 8 after three days of lawmaking. This stakeholder page shows all 21 bills introduced during the special session. At the end of the session Governor Ron deSantis signed four bills into law. let's take a look at the highlights.
The War in Israel
The session was dominated by events in the Middle East following the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel.
HB5C expands sanctions again Iran, a key backer of Hamas. It expands the definitions of a 'scrutinized company' with activities in Iran that will be subject to divestment from some state funds and won't be eligible for future investment. The bill passed the Senate with a unanimous vote and only two House Democrats voted against in the House - Rep. Anna Eskamani and Rep. Angela Nixon. During the vote, Eskamani, an Iranian American, explained her concerns that the bill could potentially hurt her family in Iran.
Eskamani and Nixon were also at the heart of the most dramatic moment of the special session. Nixon introduced a non binding resolution HR31C calling for de-escalation and a ceasefire in the State of Israel and 'occupied' Palestine. The resolution was widely condemned by Republicans and Democrats alike, with Rep. Randy Fine, the lone Jewish Republican in the Legislature, questioned why Nixon used the words “occupied Palestine.” He said: “If you vote for this you are putting my child — and every Jewish child in the state at risk … If you vote for this you are an antisemite.”
Democratic Rep. Michael Gottlieb, who chairs the Jewish Legislative Caucus, said the resolution of his fellow Democrat was “born out of ignorance and antisemitism.” Nixon responded: “Caring about thousands of innocent lives does not make anyone antisemitic”. Most remarkably, As Nixon was making her closing remarks ahead of the vote most of the House members, including Democrats, stood up and turned their backs. “You can turn your backs on me because I am on the right side of history because I don’t want the babies to die,” said Nixon.
In the end the resolution was defeated in the House, with only Nixon and Eskamani voting in favor. It is notable that a bill with such little support was ever selected for a vote, raising suspicions that this was a deliberate move by Republicans who plan to use it against Democrats in next year's election.
A different House resolution had more success and was adopted. HR11C expresses unwavering support for the State of Israel and Jewish citizens in Florida and condemns Hamas and antisemitism. It received near unanimous support, with only Nixon and Eskamani and a third Democrat Rep. Fentrice Driskell voting against. HR9C expressed support for the State of Israel and was adopted unanimously by the House, with even Nixon voting in favor. The Senate followed suit, adopting SR8C unanimously. The resolution similarly expresses firm support for Israel and also condemns the actions of Hamas.
Another bill made swift, unanimous passage through the legislature. CS/HB7C provides $25m for security at Jewish day schools and preschools and sets up a $20m fund for organisations at risk of hate crimes. Gov. DeSantis has signed the bill into law.
Other Successful Legislation
DeSantis also signed into law HB1C, a bill to provide relief to those affected by Hurricane Idalia in September and provide more than $176m to a program designed to help Floridians better prepare their homes to withstand future hurricanes. The bill was broadly popular, passing both the House and the Senate unanimously.
HB3C makes more school vouchers available for students with disabilities, as demand has outstripped supply. The bill passed the House and Senate unanimously and DeSantis signed it into law, capping a successful special session for him.
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Cover photo by Denys Kostyuchenko on Unsplash