TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivered his annual State of the State Address on Tuesday, kicking off the 2024 legislative session.
The speech came shortly after he declared a state of emergency for 49 counties, including Leon County, where the Florida State Capitol is located. Florida Democrats slammed the governor and legislators' decision to convene amid power outages and tornado warnings.
"Every government building in Tallahassee is closed today except the Capitol for today’s #StateoftheState," a post to the party's X account said. "Ron’s leadership has left Florida in a state of emergency."
The annual address felt more like a victory lap than a roadmap of the governor's vision for Florida's future. Like like last year, DeSantis' message appeared to be aimed at the rest of the country.
In his 2023 speech, DeSantis touted his conservative achievements and laid the groundwork to run on what he called the “Florida blueprint.” He announced his presidential run about two months later.
DeSantis took a similar approach on Tuesday, beginning his speech by decrying the Biden administration, claiming "cities throughout the land have decayed" under Democrats' control. He said those failures are the result of "choices made by elected officials to put ideology over sound policy."
"It is not surprising that we have witnessed – and continue to witness – a great migration of Americans away from cities and states pursuing these failed policies, with Florida serving as a refuge for freedom and sanity," DeSantis said.
DeSantis touted the state's education policies, including the conservative takeover of New College of Florida, the Parents' Bill of Rights and and the elimination of "so-called DEI," an acronym that stands for "diversity, equity and inclusion."
"We protected our children from indoctrination and sexualized curriculum, and we stood up for parents against the woke mob," DeSantis said.
Some issues that are important to Floridians were notably absent from DeSantis' speech. He did not discuss the state's property insurance crisis, lack of affordable housing and the state's vulnerability to the looming effects of climate change.
DeSantis briefly touched on skyrocketing consumer prices, blaming the federal government's "recklessness of spending, borrowing and printing of money" and touted the state's sales tax holidays and toll relief programs.
"My message is simple: Stay the course. The state of our state is strong," DeSantis said. "Let’s keep doing what works. Let’s continue to make Florida the envy of the nation."
In their response to the address, leaders from the Florida Democratic Party slammed Republicans' "extreme agenda" and challenged DeSantis' statements about the economy.
"Despite Florida's booming economy, the foundations of Florida are shaking. Our seniors, pillars of our communities, whose hard work and dedication built Florida up to her former glory, now face the possibility of losing their homes," Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book said. "Our students and young people, who are supposed to be Florida's future, can't afford to live in the state they grew up in."
Having made his appearance at the state capitol, DeSantis will now shift his focus to his embattled presidential campaign.
The governor departs for Iowa after addressing the legislature. The session convenes just days before the Iowa caucus, which is largely viewed as a bellwether for what’s to come for the rest of the primary season. DeSantis' performance in the contest is likely crucial to his campaign's survival, as he lags behind former President Donald Trump in the polls.
"I find it remarkable that (DeSantis) had anything to say, because he spent most of the last year focused on his own political ambitions outside of Florida," said House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, who represents Tampa. "Our absentee governor - your governor - visited all 99 counties in Iowa while our property insurance rates, rent and costs of living skyrocketed."
Back in Florida, the Republican-dominated legislature is tasked with reviewing around 1,700 bills over the next two months. On the agenda are issues like education, guns, pronouns and the state’s property insurance crisis.
You can see just a few of the bills to keep an eye on this legislative session by clicking here.