By Sharon Bernstein

(Reuters) – Florida banned school and business from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations on Thursday. This set up the possibility of a withdrawal by the federal agency that protects workplace safety.

Right-wing Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is widely suspected to have been planning a U.S. presidential run. He signed the new laws at Brandon. The same name was used as an euphemism and a crude epithet in the chant against Democratic President Joe Biden.

“We’re making sure that people have a right to earn a living, people have a right to have protections at their place of employment and that parents have protections to be able to direct the upbringing of their kids,” said DeSantis.

DeSantis later referred to Florida as “the free State of Florida” in an announcement about the bill’s signing via Twitter (NYSE:).

DeSantis made the same anti-vaccine claims as DeSantis and claimed that vaccines are not effective against coronavirus. He also said “natural immunity”, which should be sufficient to allow individuals to go back to work in person.

Public health officials and Democratic leaders immediately condemned the bills.

Twitter user Gavin Newsom posted “Gee” “What could go wrong …”

DeSantis called a special three-day session of Florida’s Republican-dominated legislature to pass the bills. The purpose of this special session was to stop the federal and private coronavirus vaccine mandates being imposed on schools districts, employers, and the federal government.

These laws permit employers to require employees to be vaccinated but allow for people to refuse to vaccinate because of religious, medical, or other grounds. Individuals who had COVID-19 before would not be vaccinated, even though there is evidence vaccines are more effective in preventing reinfection and serious conditions that need hospitalization.

Refusing to grant exemptions could result in a fine of up to $50,000 for each violation. New laws prohibit government agencies from mandating vaccinations. Some schools may refuse to give students or teachers vaccinations.

School districts are also prohibited from ordering students otherwise fit for school to go to COVID-19 quarantine after being exposed.

Also, the legislature instructed the governor’s bureau to prepare a plan to establish the state’s agency for worker protection. It would be replacing the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Florida is just one of many conservative states who are suing the Federal Agency to stop them from following the Biden administration’s mandate regarding vaccines.

COVID-19 has claimed the lives of approximately 61,000 Florida residents. Florida is third in U.S. population, but new cases have dropped dramatically since the start of the summer.