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LINK Ron DeSantis' Book Ban Comes Back to Bite Him -- Newsweek

Florida Democrats are using Governor Ron DeSantis' book ban against him.

DeSantis has faced backlash over a law passed last year requiring teachers to remove books that do not appear on a state-approved reading list until they are reviewed by an employee with a media specialist certificate. School officials across the Sunshine State have scrambled to comply with the law, with some saying it has created confusion about which books are now allowed in the classroom.

Republicans, including DeSantis, have said this legislation prevents students from obtaining books that are not age-appropriate, but critics view the law as an attempt to stifle discussion about issues including race and the LGBTQ+ community in public schools, raising concerns that many topics may be censored by this law, which has been met with staunch opposition from Democrats.

But the law could be coming back to bite DeSantis. Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, a Democrat, is now leading an effort to have 50 Florida counties review DeSantis' own book, The Courage to Be Free: Florida's Blueprint for America's Revival, Daily Beast reported.

DeSantis' embrace of "culture war" issues, particularly surrounding race, LGBTQ+ rights and the COVID-19 pandemic, helped propel him to national prominence in the Republican Party. He is now seen as former President Donald Trump's main rival to win the 2024 GOP nomination, though he has not yet announced a campaign.

While it remains unknown whether his book has actually been placed in any schools across the state, Democrats are seeking to use the publication to highlight their opposition to this "ban."

"The very trap that he set for others is the one that he set for himself," Driskell told Daily Beast.

Driskell has cited 17 potential violations of HB 1467 in DeSantis' book, including references to "gender ideology" and systemic racism, as well as descriptions of violence, all of which could be reasoning for the book to be reviewed by Florida schools.

Newsweek reached out to Driskell's office via email for comment.

snytiger6 9 Apr 5
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5 comments

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1

Since Repubs have no shame about hypocrisy, they never consider whether their policies and laws could come back to bite them or be used against them.

2

More proof that most repubs are 2 faced and Democrats trying to do the right thing. We are in major trouble if DeSantis wins the 2024 election. If the bastard wins.

3

Hypocrisy has a tendency to boomerang

3

Hah! It always comes back to bite you in the ass.

3

Good move by Driskell.

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