Ron DeSantis in 2024 presidential campaign press release

On Abortion: Ban most abortions after six weeks instead of fifteen

ACLU-FL testimony in opposition: If passed, nearly all abortions would be illegal after 6 weeks, before many women even know they are pregnant, or if they are aware, before they are able to satisfy the state-mandated requirement of two appointments with the doctor separated by at least 24 hours.

Governor's press release in favor 4/13: "We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida. I applaud the Legislature for passing the Heartbeat Protection Act that expands pro-life protections and provides additional resources for young mothers and families."

Legislative Outcome: Passed Senate 26-13-1 on Apr/3/23; passed House 70-40-9 on Apr/13/23; signed by Gov. DeSantis on Apr/13/23.

On Crime: No need for jury unanimity to impose capital punishment

ACLU-Florida summary in opposition, 2/9: Ends the requirement for unanimous juries in death penalty cases, and allows the imposition of death based on as few as 8 jurors. Allows judges to override a jury's recommendation of a life sentence and instead impose death. Florida will be one of only 2 states that impose death on people without requiring a unanimous jury--a foolish idea for a state that already leads the nation in exonerations of those on death row.

Governor's press release in favor, 4/20: "Once a defendant in a capital case is found guilty by a unanimous jury, one juror should not be able to veto a capital sentence," said Governor Ron DeSantis.

Legislative Outcome: Passed Senate 29-10-1 on Mar/30/23; passed House 80-30-9 on Apr/13/23; signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on Apr/20/23.

On Education: Expands school choice program; ends financial requirements

ACLU-FL in opposition: Defunds our public schools and diverts billions of public taxpayer dollars to mostly private Christian religious schools that lack standards of accountability and have a history of discriminating against LGBTQ+ students, students of minority religions, and students with disabilities.

Governor's P.R. in favor 3/27: Florida is number one when it comes to education freedom and education choice, and today's bill signing represents the largest expansion of education choice in the history of the US. When you combine private scholarships, charter schools, and district choice programs, Florida already has 1.3 million students attending a school of their choosing.

Legislative Outcome: Passed House 83-27-9 on Mar/17/23; passed Senate 26-12-2 on Mar/23/23; signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on Mar/27/23.

On Drugs: Don't federally decriminalize cannabis

"Canada has gone all that way [with legalization], and other countries have gone all that way. Some countries won't do it," he said during a recent interview with Newsmax. "But I am going to take a look at some final results. But indications are that is not exactly helpful."

DeSantis, for his part, said in June that he would not federally decriminalize cannabis if elected. He said he's concerned about the potency of marijuana and, despite a lack of evidence, the possibility that products could be laced with more dangerous drugs such as fentanyl. "If you do something with that, it could be goodnight right then and there," he said. "You could die just by ingesting that, so I think that that's problematic."