Editor, The Beacon:

What is our Republican-led Legislature in Tallahassee up to this session? In short, they have become a groveling ground for political posturing and stupefying ideas. The bills put forth by our DeSantis acolytes seem to defy our imaginations. A welcome mat has been rolled out for corporate greed and extremist sycophants.

Some examples: We have a bill that would eliminate passing state tests to measure competency in reading and math for our high-school students. This would no longer be a diploma requirement. We could then brag to the rest of the country about our magnificent graduation rate! Bart Simpson could be our valedictorian.

A pox on our local governments! How dare Key West try to regulate cruise-ship traffic? Or Ormond Beach try to prevent fuel depots from being built near residential neighborhoods?

Local government is to be prohibited from removing Confederate monuments or requiring gas stations to have charging stations for electric vehicles.

We have a bill to make it easier to sue our local governments if they pass ordinances that business deems harmful. We have a bill that would prohibit local governments from enacting a higher minimum wage than that of the state.

There is a bill that would prohibit heat protection for outdoor workers, and allow child labor to be used in risky occupations. We have a bill that prohibits local governments from trying to improve water and air quality in their neighborhoods. And a bill to change building codes to make it easier to demolish historic buildings.

And another bill to make it easier for developers to circumvent local ordinances. Why, we even have a bill that would restrict the use of personal pronouns and prohibit banning plastic straws!

We have a bill that regulates what flags can be flown, and what books should be banned. For further sop, a bill to lower the age to buy assault weapons to 18 years has been introduced.

And for good measure, our governor has signed a bill allowing radioactive cancer-causing phosphate mining waste to be used in building our roads.

The Tallahassee feeding trough is filled to the max with favors and pork for our corporate sows. What about issues we Floridians are facing?

Astronomical property insurance rates: not important. Skyrocketing car-insurance rates? Not an issue. Health-insurance coverage: not on the agenda.

Republicans preach the sanctity of life, and then refuse to accept federal funds to expand Medicaid coverage for the living poor.

Indeed, Tallahassee looks like a swamp that needs to be drained. Pulling the plug on our ambitious governor would be a good start.

Chuck Oakwood

DeLand