Republican Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis has called for a special session of the state's legislature with the goal of prohibiting vaccine mandates.
The announcement was made at a press conference on Thursday, where supporters were seen waving a Gadsden-style Florida flag.
Later, the governor took to Twitter to post an updated version of the famous Revolutionary War-era Gadsden flag, with the inscription on it saying, "Don’t tread on Florida." Instead of a rattlesnake, found on the original banner, an alligator - a more commonly seen creature in Florida - is emblazoned on DeSantis' version.
In November, the GOP-controlled statehouse will hold a special session to review vaccine regulations, according to the governor. However, he did not indicate when this would start.
"At the end of the day, you shouldn’t be discriminated against based on your health decisions," DeSantis said at a presser. "We want to provide protection for people, we want to make it clear that, in Florida, your right to earn a living is not contingent upon whatever choices you’re making in terms of these injections."
DeSantis highlighted the policy goals for the special session in general, including making corporations accountable for bad vaccine-related responses, removing legal liability protections for employers that impose vaccine requirements, and adding protections for those who are fired for not being vaccinated.
On September 9, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to combat the surge in virus cases in the US, which includes mandatory vaccinations for federal government employees and contractors, and companies with more than 100 employees. It also urges state governors to require vaccines for teachers and extend testing accessibility.