Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) have traded jabs over the last couple of weeks, most recently culminating in Newsom pushing back against DeSantis’ press secretary Christina Pushaw.
Pushaw said that opponents to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill were “groomers,” to which Newsom took offense.
The bill that liberals inaccurately call “Don’t Say Gay” would be more accurately described as an Anti-Grooming Bill.
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) March 4, 2022
“I say grooming – yeah, it should offend,” Newsom said while giving remarks at the National Forum on Education Policy after receiving an award for state innovation. “Press secretary for the governor of one of our largest states said people like me that were opposed to – and I know a lot of people are offended by saying it’s not really a ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill – but referred to those that opposed it in Florida as ‘groomers.’ I think she was promoted, not fired. Certainly wasn’t fired.”
The legislation in question is the nationally famous bill that the Florida Legislature passed, and DeSantis signed, earlier this year which banned sex ed curriculum and discussions of human sexuality in Florida’s public-school classrooms in grades kindergarten through third.
Newsom continued his comments by comparing the legislation to a 1978 bill in California that would have banned homosexual teachers.
“Teachers were under assault because God forbid, teachers were homosexual,” Newsom said. He said the initiative argued that gay teachers “would be grooming our kids.”
Newsom, earlier this month, took another swipe at Florida by launching an ad over Independence Day weekend saying that “freedom is under attack” in Florida.
“I urge all of you living in Florida to join the fight,” Newsom said, adding that Floridians could also “join us in California, where we still believe in freedom.”
DeSantis was asked about Newsom’s ad in Florida and could be visibly seen laughing at the accusation that California is more free than Florida.
“When families are uprooting from the Pacific Coast to go almost 3,000 miles in search of a better life, that’s telling you something,” DeSantis said. “Yes, we’ve created a citadel of freedom here that has attracted people and we’re proud of it. But, let’s just be clear, California is driving people away with their terrible governance.”
Just as Newsom is touting California’s freedom, Los Angeles County is likely bringing back its mask mandate after COVID is purportedly making a comeback in the county.
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Grant Holcomb is a reporter at The Florida Capital Star and The Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
Photo “Gavin Newsom” by Governor of California.
