“Senate President Wilton Simpson late Saturday sharply criticized a top official in the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis for failing to adhere to a request from state Sen. Tina Polsky to wear a mask while visiting her in her office. Polsky, a Democrat from Palm Beach County who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and is about to start radiation treatment, asked Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo to leave her office this past week after Ladapo refused to don a mask,” reports Florida Politics.

“Simpson sent a memo to all members and Senate staff calling the incident ‘disappointing’ and said that ‘it shouldn’t take a cancer diagnosis for people to respect each other’s level of comfort with social interactions during a pandemic…What occurred in Senator Polsky’s office was unprofessional and will not be tolerated in the Senate,’ the Republican leader wrote. ‘While there is no mask mandate in the Senate, Senators and staff can request social distancing and masking within their own offices. If visitors to the Senate fail to respect these requests, they will be asked to leave.'”

“Simpson’s move comes just two days after DeSantis surprised legislative leaders when he publicly said he was calling a Special Session to pass laws aimed at blunting vaccine mandates pushed by either local governments or private businesses. The memo may also suggest that Ladapo, who was appointed to his post in late September, may run into trouble as he seeks confirmation with the Senate during the upcoming session. Polsky was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in August. Ladapo and his two legislative aides went to Polsky’s office this past week as he tries to build support for his confirmation vote.”