DeSantis sets date for special session on vaccine mandates

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched criticism at President Joe Biden on Friday as he called lawmakers into a special session Nov. 15 to take up legislation to prevent vaccine mandates enacted by businesses.

DeSantis and the Biden administration have a near constant back and forth about the handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with DeSantis saying the president is overstepping his authority by trying to force large businesses and government contractors to require vaccinations.

“The Biden administration has undertaken, or threatened to undertake, extraordinary efforts to coerce injections of the COVID-19 vaccine into Americans who otherwise would be unwilling to receive the vaccine for reasons of health, pregnancy, religious belief (including sincerely held moral or ethical beliefs) and prior infection," the governor's proclamation said.

DeSantis, who is eyeing at 2024 presidential run, has lobbed heavy criticism at the White House and local governments in Florida over their vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions.

“Forced vaccinations of Americans will sow further distrust in government and in corporate America,” DeSantis said.

Democratic state Rep. Evan Jenne said it's sad to see DeSantis make the pandemic a political issue, especially by calling out Biden several times in the official call for a special session.

“But I'm not surprised. That's who he's running against right now,” Jenne said. “If you're running to unseat the incumbent you talk about the incumbent and you critique their job performance.”

DeSantis is up for re-election next year, but has largely aimed his political attacks on the Biden administration rather than the three major Democrats hoping to unseat him.

“You can do that call without making it political," Jenne...