Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is making headlines again, but not for anything good. This time, he’s pushing policies that force people to have children, even if they can’t afford it, and then leaves those families without help once the kids are born.
DeSantis recently signed a law that bans reproductive decisions after six weeks, which is often before many people even know they’re pregnant. But he’s not stopping there. He’s also using the government to scare people who support an initiative to restore those rights. Some Floridians signed a petition to put Amendment 4 on the ballot, which would protect reproductive rights in the state’s constitution. In response, DeSantis sent police to their homes to question them and check their IDs. Some people were even warned about possible identity fraud involving their family members, which has no evidence to back it up.
This is just the latest example of how DeSantis uses his power to intimidate people who disagree with him. His actions could be seen as a violation of free speech and voting rights because he’s trying to scare people out of supporting causes he doesn’t like, especially when it comes to reproductive rights.
But what makes this even worse is that DeSantis is forcing people to have children and then doing nothing to help those families. In 2024, he rejected $250 million in federal food aid that would have helped feed 2.1 million children over the summer.
These kids rely on free or reduced-price lunches during the school year, but when school’s out, many of them go hungry. DeSantis turned down the money because he didn’t want to spend $12 million on administrative costs to distribute it.
As a result, many Florida families were left struggling to feed their children. Even though nearly half of Florida’s households are struggling with basic costs like food and housing, DeSantis’s decision meant they couldn’t get the help they needed.
Now, with the deadline for next year’s federal food aid approaching, many people are worried that DeSantis will reject it again. Despite the clear need, he seems more focused on his anti-choice agenda than on helping families who are struggling to get by.
DeSantis’s policies are a clear example of hypocrisy. He’s eager to force people to have children but refuses to provide support once those children are born.
This isn’t just about reproductive rights; it’s about basic human needs. Forcing families into difficult situations and then leaving them to fend for themselves is not leadership—it’s cruelty.
As Floridians head to the polls in November to vote on Amendment 4, they should remember that DeSantis is not only trying to control their reproductive choices but is also abandoning their children once they’re born. The best way to fight back against these policies is to vote for Amendment 4 and to make sure their voices are heard, despite DeSantis’s attempts to silence them.
