“The Florida House has approved legislation asking the Governor to develop a state workplace safety plan, handing the issue off to the Senate. The measure (HB 5B), passed Wednesday, would give Gov. Ron DeSantis until Jan. 17 to develop a plan for Florida to seek federal approval for a state counterpart to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.”
“Leaders in Florida’s Republican-led Legislature initially framed the measure as a way to bypass vaccine mandates from a ‘weaponized’ federal agency, although state occupational safety agencies must be at least as strict as OSHA. Land O’Lakes Republican Rep. Ardian Zika, the bill’s sponsor, has tied the bill to ‘freedom,’ telling members the proposal would benefit both employers and employees and allow them to grow economically. ‘Florida knows Florida better than Washington, D.C. will ever know Florida,’ Zika said. ‘We have a responsibility as Floridians to ensure that Florida remains the launching pad for the American dream.’ The bill passed 76 to 38, with only Miami Democratic Rep. James Bush crossing party lines to vote in favor of the measure. No Republicans besides Zika spoke in favor of the bill during debate, but many Democratic Caucus members lined up to oppose the bill, calling it a waste of time” – Florida Politics .