Ron DeSantis Sworn in for Second Term, Says Florida is Where ‘Woke Goes to Die’

Ron DeSantis was sworn in for a second term as the governor of Florida on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. He took his oath of office following a landslide victory in last year’s election and was sworn in on the “Bible of the Revolution.”

The Bible was an “Aitken Bible,” a version that was approved by the Congress of the Confederation and was the first English Bible printed in North America. The specific Bible that Gov. DeSantis used was loaned to him by popular conservative radio host Glenn Beck.

The governor’s inauguration comes after he won a clear and decisive victory over his Democrat opponent Charlie Christ on November 3, 2022. Gov. DeSantis won 59.38% of the vote compared to Christ’s 39.97% – a nearly 20 point margin in what is perennially a swing state.

As the Daily Citizen reported, the governor’s margin of victory “proved to be the largest gubernatorial victory for any Republican in the state of Florida since 1868,” or the largest victory for a Republican in Florida in over 150 years.

In his second inaugural speech, DeSantis touted his first term record as governor. He said:

Over the past few years, as so many states in our country grinded their citizens down, we in Florida lifted our people up.

When other states consigned their people’s freedom to the dustbin, Florida stood strongly as freedom’s linchpin.

When the world lost its mind – when common sense suddenly became an uncommon virtue – Florida was a refuge of sanity, a citadel of freedom for our fellow Americans and even for people around the world.

In captaining the ship of state, we choose to navigate the boisterous sea of liberty rather than cower in the calm docks of despotism.

DeSantis made several references to the Parental Rights in Education law that he signed last year, which reinforced the right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children. He said:

Four years ago, we promised to pursue a bold agenda. We did just that and we have produced results.

We said we would ensure that Florida taxed lightly, regulated reasonably, and spent conservatively – and we delivered.

We promised we would enact big education reforms – and we delivered.

We said we would end judicial activism by appointing jurists who understand the proper role of a judge is to apply the law as written, not legislate from the bench – and we delivered.

Gov. DeSantis added:

Florida has accumulated a record budget surplus, and we need to enact a record amount of tax relief, particularly for Florida families who are grappling with inflation.

We must ensure school systems are responsive to parents and to students, not partisan interest groups, and we must ensure that our institutions of higher learning are focused on academic excellence and the pursuit of truth, not the imposition of trendy ideology.

Florida must always be a great place to raise a family – we will enact more family-friendly policies to make it easier to raise children and we will defend our children against those who seek to rob them of their innocence.

We will always remain a law-and-order state, we will always support law enforcement, and we will always reject soft-on-crime policies that put our communities at risk.

The governor has already signed multiple family friendly bills into law over the past several years.

Last April, the governor signed a bill into law providing $70 million to support fatherhood. Additionally, he signed a bill that provided $44 million to promote adoption and foster care in the state.

“We seek normalcy, not philosophical lunacy! We will not allow reality, facts, and truth to become optional. We will never surrender to the woke mob. Florida is where woke goes to die!” the governor said.

Prior to his swearing in, the governor, his wife Casey DeSantis, and their son, Mason, were prayed over by 100 leaders of the faith community in Florida. John Stemberger, President of the Florida Family Policy Council, an ally of Focus on the Family, was present, and able to capture this picture:

The next Florida legislative session begins on Tuesday, March 7 and lasts through Friday, May 5, 2023.

As the governor referenced in his speech, more family friendly bills are expected to be introduced, including a potential Heartbeat Bill which would prohibit abortions in the Sunshine State after a preborn baby’s heartbeat can be detected.

The Daily Citizen will keep you updated with the progress of any such bills that will promote faith and family in Florida.

Related articles and resources:

Governor DeSantis’ Election Night Victory Proves Bold Leadership Wins

Governor Ron DeSantis Talks ‘Being a Positive Force for the Family’ on the Focus Broadcast

Photo from Getty.