click to enlarge 
Screenshot via Orange County Board of County Commissioners
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings was not cowed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' continued threats against the county over vaccine mandates.
DeSantis called out Orange County at a rally earlier this week, noting the story of a fire and rescue battalion chief who was
terminated for refusing to discipline firefighters who ran afoul of the county's employee vaccine mandate. In a press conference on Thursday, Demings told state leaders they knew where to find him if they had a problem.
“They seem to care more about using firefighters as political pawns, rather than public servants who are entrusted to protect and serve,” Demings
said. “So, if you ask me what is my response to the governor or anyone else, I say these simple words: bring it on.”
DeSantis trotted out fired battalion chief Stephen Davis, who held to his claim that he was merely defending employees who he believed were listed in violation in error.
"Can we confirm these things? Can we confirm that these people shouldn’t be on this list?" he asked, at the rally. "I had personal conversations with several who said they had the vaccination. And yet I was ordered to give them reprimands.”
Davis later called the vaccination order "unlawful," holding to a line espoused by several Orange County firefighters
suing the county over the mandate.
The back-and-forth is an
escalation of rhetoric we've been hearing from both Demings and DeSantis over the last few months. Demings has
repeatedly assured residents that the county's mandate on government employees is within the law while DeSantis has threatened millions in fines. Leon County in North Florida has already been fined to
the tune of $3.5 million, but Orange County hasn't budged.
–
Stay on top of Central Florida news and views with our weekly newsletters, and consider supporting this free publication. Our small but mighty team is working tirelessly to bring you Central Florida news, and every little bit helps.
