Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis doubled down on his anti-vaccine stances Tuesday, announcing a series of policy proposals that would permanently prevent public health authorities from instituting outbreak mitigation efforts, including mask or vaccine mandates, passports, and employer vaccination requirements. Previous state policies designed to thwart federal pandemic mitigation efforts—largely expired at this point—are currently set to sunset in June. Speaking at an event called “Permanent Protections Against the Covid-19 Biomedical Security State,” DeSantis said: “When the world lost its mind, Florida was a refuge of sanity, serving strongly as freedom’s linchpin. These measures will ensure Florida remains this way and will provide landmark protections for free speech for medical practitioners.”

DeSantis’ push also follows a series of statements in support of COVID-19 vaccination efforts by former President Donald Trump, who on Monday night claimed “I saved 100 million lives worldwide” by fast-tracking the development and distribution of the shots. The Florida state legislature is set to vote on DeSantis’ proposal after they return in March.

Read more at WPTV.