Let's see how DeSantis' buddy in the legislature is "winning" today...
Florida’s COVID-19 death toll is 15,531. This top GOP leader doesn’t believe it.
Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, sent a memo Tuesday to all House members announcing the findings of an-in house analysis he ordered of the state’s COVID-19 death numbers and cautioned lawmakers against using the data for policy purposes.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/flori...-15531-this-top-gop-leader-doesnt-believe-it/
The Florida House speaker is calling into question the state’s COVID-19 death toll, warning that it was based on compromised data and used a methodology that inflated death rates.
Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, sent a memo Tuesday to all House members announcing the findings of an-in house analysis he ordered of the state’s COVID-19 death numbers and cautioned lawmakers against using the data for policy purposes. The death totals are released daily by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration.
“Precision in data is imperative, not just for proper decision-making, but also for public confidence and consistency of response,” Oliva wrote in the memo accompanying the analysis. “The great disparity of perspective between the political parties has been further exacerbated by the loosening of process and fidelity to established norms in classification. Our leaders cannot build upon the soft-footing of compromised data.”
Oliva issued the memo and analysis weeks before he leaves office following the Nov. 3 elections. New lawmakers and new leaders will be sworn in during a Nov. 17 organization session.
Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said she initially was surprised by Oliva’s memo, given the Florida Senate’s recent decision to hire Tampa General Hospital to develop an infection-prevention plan to take steps to improve the safety of senators and staff members.
“What this comes down to is this is COVID-19 deniers. And I hate to say it, but this is a complete attempt to downplay this pandemic that has destroyed lives across the country and world,” Eskamani said. “There are so many steps we can take to not cause controversy over this pandemic and just get our job done. It’s very frustrating to see these used-up attacks to downplay the pandemic.”
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