Florida‘s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted out an updated version of the Florida state flag that was trending on social media after calling for a special session to ban local coronavirus vaccine mandates.
“Don’t tread on Florida,” the flag reads with an alligator on the bottom paying tribute to the Gadsen flag that contains the message “Don’t Tread On Me.”
LAKELAND, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES – 2021/09/07: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at a press conference at the Lakeland, Florida Police Department to announce a new proposal that would provide $5,000 signing bonuses to those who sign on to be law enforcement officers from within the state of Florida, and those who come from out-of-state. The plan would also pay up to $1,000 for training and relocation, and would set up a scholarship to pay the cost for the law enforcement academy. (Photo by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
(Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
FLORIDA FINES COUNTY $3.5M FOR VIOLATING VACCINE MANDATE BAN
Also on Thursday, DeSantis called on the Florida legislature to hold a special session with the aim of banning vaccine mandates in his state.
Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, speaks during a news conference at a Regeneron monoclonal antibody clinic in Pembroke Pines, Florida, U.S., on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021. Floridas State Board of Education said it would force defiant school districts to comply with Governor DeSantiss executive order forbidding them from mandating students wear masks as a way to slow a surge in Covid-19 cases. Photographer: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images
( Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
DeSantis held a press conference Thursday and the Gadsden-style Florida flag was displayed by several people in the background.
DESANTIS SAYS AG GARLAND ‘WEAPONIZING THE DOJ’ AGAINST PARENTS
The Republican governor said he will convene a special session of the GOP-controlled statehouse in November to address vaccine requirements. He didn’t specify a starting date.
“At the end of the day, you shouldn’t be discriminated against based on your health decisions,” he said during a news conference. “We want to provide protection for people, we want to make it clear that, in Florida, your right to earn a living is not contingent upon whatever choices you’re making in terms of these injections.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
FILE – In this Oct. 5, 2021, file photo a healthcare worker fills a syringe with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. President Joe Biden’s most aggressive move yet to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is almost ready to see the light of day. The government is close to publishing the details of a new vaccination-or-testing rule covering more than 80 million Americans at companies with 100 or more workers. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
In broad terms, DeSantis outlined policy goals for the special session, including holding businesses liable for adverse reactions to vaccines, removing legal liability protections for employers with vaccine mandates, and added protections for people fired for not being vaccinated.
Associated Press contributed to this report
