Why did Gov. DeSantis pardon people who flagrantly broke rules meant to keep everyone safe?
Daytona Beach News-Journal Editorial Board  Sometimes we have to wonder about Gov. Ron DeSantis' priorities. Earlier this month, the governor took an action that was particularly baffling  issuing a blanket pardon for anyone caught violating a city or county ordinance related to COVID-19 protections and waiving any fines. The move was baffling  but not unexpected. During a May appearance on a conservative TV talk show, the governor dramatically pardoned the former owners of a Plantation gym who repeatedly violated Broward Countys mandatory mask order. I think theyve been treated poorly, and fortunately they have a governor who cares, DeSantis said, adding later, We are the oasis of freedom.  It was a stunt, plain and simple. That was made obvious by the timing. But its one with troubling implications and a significant portion of hypocrisy. To understand why, take a step back in time to the early months of the pandemic. By April 2020, DeSantis had shut down most non-essential services including bars, beauty salons, gyms and other businesses, and enacted rules requiring businesses to screen employees for signs of the coronavirus. But within a few months, he was picking away at those restrictions  even as infection rates in Florida started to climb and other states considered additional rules to protect their residents. By September, the state was allowing restaurants and bars to operate at full capacity. And in October, DeSantis  who had repeatedly said that specific rules such as mask mandates were best left to local officials  suddenly launched the first of a series of attacks on local control. In an executive order, he declared that cities and counties could no longer levy fines against people who broke local social-distancing rules. City leaders  particularly in South Florida, where case counts and COVID-19 deaths were soaring  were baffled and then infuriated. They pointed out that mask-wearing, social distancing and avoiding large gatherings were easy, effective ways to stop the spread of coronavirus  a position thats been repeatedly reinforced by the nations acknowledged authorities on infectious disease. The governor was unrepentant  citing much less credible theories that held protective measures to be ineffective. The facts were not on DeSantis side  in mid-January, the states rate of new cases hit its all time peak with more than 19,566 cases reported in a single day  but the state had already taken steps to manipulate the COVID-related data that it was releasing. Under the laws in place at the time, DeSantis legal authority to override local governments seemed murky to many experts. The Legislature has since fixed that, expanding the governors authority during a declared emergency to near-kinglike status. Thats a move Florida lawmakers may live to regret  even if they werent swayed by the 37,700 Floridian lives COVID-19 has claimed since the start of the pandemic. And the governor wasnt done. In May he officially struck down almost all local rules meant to prevent the spread of the disease. The pardons take it to an entirely different level. DeSantis is rewarding people  including businesses  who knowingly, defiantly ignored rules meant to keep Floridians safe. Hes siding with the lawbreakers instead of local officials who were acting in good faith  and retroactively waiving fines assessed against them. Its important to know that most municipal and county officials worked diligently to encourage compliance and only levied fines against the most flagrant violators. Even worse, DeSantis specifically excluded people and businesses penalized for violating state COVID restrictions. Take this outside the boundaries of a global pandemic. DeSantis pardons were meant to pander to a segment of the population that chose to turn a pandemic into a political grandstand. But its implications for the future  and implications for local oversight  are troubling.