Florida lawmakers gave DeSantis total power over pandemic aid. Now they want it back.

[DonViejo]

By GARY FINEOUT 02/16/2021 05:00 AM EST Updated 02/16/2021 06:48 PM EST

TALLAHASSEE — Republican lawmakers in Florida are starting to look for ways to rein in Gov. Ron DeSantis' emergency powers nearly a year into the public health crisis that has crippled the state and killed more than 28,000 residents.

As Florida's tourism-centered economy crumbled and the rate of new Covid-19 infections climbed last summer, the state's Republican-controlled Legislature let DeSantis, a fellow Republican, call the shots. Like legislators in other states, they deferred to their governor on the pandemic for months, on everything from whether to shut down bars to which schools should hold in-person classes.

But then lawmakers gave DeSantis keys to the store: The governor got complete authority over how to spend nearly $5 billion in federal aid sent to the state from Congress — handing over control of the purse strings central to legislative power. It was a move that also let the Legislature take a hands-off approach to issues about surging unemployment, Black Lives Matter protests, and Covid-19.

Now, as legislative leaders assess Florida’s coronavirus response and how long the crisis has raged, a small number of Republicans are starting to weigh the possibility of new limits on DeSantis’ executive powers — something Democrats have been clamoring for. Fear of more severe lockdowns in the future has rattled some GOP lawmakers.

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https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2021/02/16/florida-lawmakers-gave-desantis-total-power-over-pandemic-aid-now-they-want-it-back-1363132