SPLC Action Fund: Gov. DeSantis's SB 90 Signing Event "Embarrassing, Grotesque, Dangerous, and Disastrous for Florida’s Democracy"

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - This morning, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill (SB) 90 into law at an event billed as a rally for “The Best Governor in the USA” at the Hilton at Palm Beach International Airport, less than three miles from Mar-a-Lago. 

Among other provisions, SB 90 would: eliminate mobile ballot drop-off vans, make it more difficult to hold community voter registration drives, criminalize volunteers who offer water or snacks to voters waiting in line, place additional restrictions on voting by mail, severely limit voter assistance, and impose onerous surveillance requirements on drop boxes.

The following statement is by Carrie Boyd, Florida policy counsel for the SPLC Action Fund: 

“Governor DeSantis’s SB 90 signing event today was equal parts embarrassing, grotesque, dangerous, and disastrous for Florida’s democracy.

“Embarrassing because the governor hosted an event billed as a rally for ‘The Best Governor in the USA’ for himself and put on a performance to impress an audience of one down the street from the airport hotel.

“Grotesque because the event was using the signing of SB 90, a bill which will unconstitutionally limit Floridians’ freedom to vote, as somehow a measure of good executive performance. 

“Dangerous because the governor picked up the mantle of the ‘Big Lie’ and spent much of his speech repeating the same disinformation and falsehoods about the 2020 election that resulted in a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol mere months ago.

“Disastrous for Florida’s democracy because the implementation of SB 90 imposes new barriers to safely and easily accessing the ballot, especially for senior citizens, Floridians of color, and those communities that increasingly rely on voting by mail and the availability of drop boxes, especially given their disproportionate wait times when voting in person. 

“The governor made undermining future elections a priority this year.  However, we must continue to hold him and those who passed SB 90 accountable to the people for their anti-democratic acts.”