With less than one week before election day and early voting in Florida already underway, the DeSantis administration isn’t slowing down from letting Floridians know exactly what it thinks about legalizing marijuana and expanding abortion rights in the state.
While the two issues are among high stake ballot questions Florida voters are in the midst of deciding, the state continues to air commercials that aim to weaken support for them.
In one ad about the dangers of marijuana use, the narrator states, “DUI crashes increase in states with legalized marijuana.” This ad is sponsored by Florida’s Department of Transportation.
Another ad targets supporters of expanding abortion rights in Florida and features a member of Florida’s Board of Medicine who tries to dispel what he calls “misinformation.” “Lately you’ve probably heard a lot of misinformation about our abortion laws,” Dr. Steven Christie states.
The administration’s blatant, taxpayer funded opposition to these ballots just days before the election makes for an election season, the likes of which we’ve never seen before in the Sunshine state, explains University of South Florida political communications Associate Professor Josh Scacco.
“When you see advertisements that are being sponsored by state government that are talking about the messages that are in the campaign environment, and then stop right before they say vote for or against, that's where you're starting to see some really unique territory,” he said. “That's where state government finds itself. It has put itself in this territory that really governments try not to be in,” Scacco explained.
If approved by at least 60% of voters, Amendment 4 would protect abortion rights in Florida until viability, or about 24 weeks.
Amendment 3 would legalize recreational marijuana use for adults.
Governor DeSantis and his wife have been vocal about opposing both amendments and have been touring the state holding press conferences against both amendments. While it’s not unusual to see elected officials and their spouse campaign over issues, what is unusual is how nonpartisan government agencies are also getting in on the political action.
Florida’s Department of Education, Florida’s Department of Transportation, the Department of Children and Families, the Agency for Healthcare Administration and the state’s Department of Health have all spent time and taxpayer money on broadcast or digital campaigns aimed at weakening support for both amendments.
According to the state’s contract database, since last month state agencies have spent nearly $20 million dollars on “media” and “public information” campaigns. It’s unclear how much of that money has gone directly to these commercials. A spokesperson from the Governor’s office did not respond to requests for a breakdown of spending. (Some critics have tallied the total dollar amount spent closer to $50 million based on ad buys).
When asked about these state-sponsored, taxpayer funded ads, Governor DeSantis defended them, calling the ads “public service announcements.”
“It’s not electioneering. It’s things that can be actually done through these public service announcements and I’m glad that they’re doing it,” DeSantis said during a press conference last month.
But the state’s opposition to the amendments isn’t limited to just commercials on air and online.
Officials from these nonpartisan state agencies are also being used to spread the governor’s message while working on taxpayer dime.
This week, Shevaun Harris, the Secretary for Florida’s Department of Children and Families joined the Governor at press conferences around the state as he argued why voters should vote no legalizing marijuana. Several sheriffs have also appeared at press conferences against the amendment.
Last week, the Florida Surgeon General, Joseph Ladapo, made the rounds with Casey DeSantis as she argued against legalizing marijuana.
The state’s top doctor then told our Forrest Saunders his argument was a “spiritual and emotional” one.
“Drugs diminish our ability to be all that we can be, to be representations of God's love, God's light, God's wisdom,” he said.
Related: Florida’s Surgeon General offers ‘spiritual' concerns over recreational marijuana
Critics are calling out what they describe as state campaigning on taxpayer dime.
Republican Senator Joe Gruters is in favor of legalizing marijuana and believes the DeSantis Administration is going too far. During a press conference last week about the state’s use of taxpayer money to oppose Amendment 3, Gruters and other critics raised concerns the state is also using settlement money earmarked for opioid awareness for its campaign against marijuana.
“We still live in democracy,” Gruters said. “No matter where you stand on these issues, we shouldn't be spending money on propaganda one way or the other,” he said.
The Governor’s Chief of Staff, who typically works behind the scenes, is also now publicly defending the state’s spending.
“Data is showing more and more marijuana is leading to more and more car accidents and dangers for kids,” he said about the ads. “On the abortion side, the PSA’s that are out there aren’t advocating on the amendment one way or the other, they don’t mention the amendment. What they are talking about is what’s in Florida’s law,” Uthmeier said.
This month, a federal judge weighed in on the state’s meddling during an election when he told the administration to stop sending letters threatening TV stations that aired a commercial in favor of expanding abortion rights. This week, the same judge extended that temporary injunction.
While the long-term legal and moral argument over the state’s election season messaging has yet to be fully determined and understood, what’s clear is a government using public money to blur the lines between politics and public service.
“Government represents everyone who voted for them and who voted against them,” said Scacco. “Electoral campaigns are different and mixing those two things together has the potential to really undermine foundational forces in a democracy that are designed to keep these two things separate,” Scacco said.
As allegations mount that the DeSantis administration is misusing taxpayer money to influence voters on abortion and marijuana issues, a political communications expert calls the state’s actions not just unprecedented, but dangerous.
