After his unsuccessful 2024 presidential bid, Ron DeSantis now targets Florida’s homeless population. However, State Senator Shevrin Jones is not going to stand it. He has openly criticized DeSantis’s “Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping” bill, HB 1365, which criminalizes public camping. During the bill’s signing ceremony in Miami Beach, DeSantis said, “The lawlessness seen in ‘progressive’ cities — sprawling encampments, open-air drug markets, and homeless people endangering themselves and others is totally preventable…Our action today is one of many steps we’re taking to keep our cities clean and safe for everyone.” Jones suggested attempting to outlaw an entire population is futile. History shows such measures fail. Jones, far from a dictator, highlighted this flaw during Florida’s legislative debate. However, despite his objections, the bill was passed and signed into law by DeSantis and will be enforced starting October 1. Beginning January 2025, residents, local businesses, and even the state attorney general are allowed to file lawsuits against cities and counties if they fail to clear homeless encampments once the law is enforced. Jones, Florida’s first openly gay senator elected in 2020, has consistently opposed DeSantis’s policies, notably advocating against the “Don’t Say Gay” measures and supporting a recent settlement to ease restrictions on educators.
Home Happening Out Television Network Florida Senator Shevrin Jones Takes On DeSantis Again. This Time It’s Homelessness
