Ron DeSantis is at it again

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Ron DeSantis is continuing his ideological and reputational retreat in Florida. Just a few weeks ago, I wrote about how DeSantisโ€™s hate-filled agenda has been losing steam since he dropped out of the race to be the next MAGA king. Now, DeSantisโ€™s controversial move to spur book-banning in school libraries across the state is being dismantledโ€”by none other than DeSantis himself.

On Tuesday, DeSantis signed a bill into law to limit Floridiansโ€™ ability to object to books in K-12 school libraries. Amending a 2022 law, this new law means that individuals without children in a school district will be restricted to one monthly objection, at most. Beginning July 1, only parents with children who have access to the districtโ€™s library holdings may voice unlimited objections to them.

While this development leaves much room for improvement, it is expected to curb the rampant book-banning that has been affecting students in Florida over the past two years. According to a report from The Hill, โ€œbook objections have poured into school districts since the [2022] bill was passed.โ€

Indeed, like many recent Republican efforts, DeSantisโ€™s book-banning pushโ€”on top of being plain wrongโ€”has proven to be a logistical mess. Florida Democrats creatively pointed this out to DeSantis when, a year ago, they applied this law to his own memoir, The Courage To Be Free: Floridaโ€™s Blueprint for Americaโ€™s Revival. DeSantisโ€™s book reportedly violated the law at least 17 times, according to an exclusive by The Daily Beast.

DeSantisโ€™s press release issued on Tuesday about the bill signing, โ€œGovernor DeSantis Signs Legislation to Further Enhance Education in Florida,โ€ shows heโ€™s finally beginning to catch on. Creating a free-for-all for removing books from the school library system was a bad idea then and a bad idea now. Indeed, Ron DeSantis himself is one enormously bad idea that, fortunately, will not move into the White House in January.

Hi, it's Bill Palmer. I'm as sick of Donald Trump as you are. I'm expanding Palmer Report's operations so we can lead the fight against him. Click here to donate $25 or $50.