Senate Democrats demand DeSantis act to save Florida's economy

Florida Senate Democrats demanded Thursday that Gov. Ron DeSantis lift his preemption of local governments’ capacities to enforce COVID-19 restrictions, such as mask mandates, to avoid mass layoffs and the collapse of the state’s economy.

“We see a growing iceberg coming towards us, and the lack of a coherent statewide policy has only contributed to the growth of this virus and the harm to our economy,” Senate Minority Leader Gary Farmer, D-Fort Lauderdale, said during a virtual call with members of the Senate Democratic caucus.