DeSantis Responds To Potential Federal Mask Mandate for Kids: ‘We’re Not Doing That in Florida’

Florida Republican Gov. 👤Ron Desantis sent the Biden administration a powerful message Thursday that he would hold a special legislative session if the federal government were to require masks in schools.

“There’s been talk about potentially people advocating at the federal level, imposing compulsory masks on kids,” DeSantis said, according to WJXT-TV.

“We’re not doing that in Florida, OK? We need our kids to breathe.”

The governor said that he and Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls would hold a special session if the federal government required schoolchildren to wear masks to ensure they will remain optional for Florida students.

“As of right now, all the school districts are going in that direction. But there is going to be, it looks like, a campaign from Washington to try to change that,” he said.

“I’ve talked to Chris Sprowls, if we need to bring back in to be able to do something from the legislative perspective, he’s all in.”

DeSantis’ comments came as Florida is experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases, according to the Miami Herald.

Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said most of the new cases are among people who have not been vaccinated.