the United States. Speaking of Western Europe birthrates as a warning to Americans, he said; "When you get a birth rate less than 2 percent, that society is disappearing, and it’s being replaced by folks that come behind them and immigrate, don’t wish to assimilate into that society and they do believe in having children." During the 2021 Florida Legislature session, Baxley filed the controversial bill Senate Bill 86. The bill, in its original form, required students to pursue a degree from an approved list of degrees that lead to jobs. Failure to do so could lead to reduction in Bright Futures students received. Proponents of the bill claimed it could help bring the world of education and work closer together. Opponents argued that the bill would remove choice in degree for lower income students and push the highest performers away from Florida colleges and Florida universities. The bill went through several revisions, slowly removing some of the more controversial language as it went through the committee process. Opposition came largely from students who would be affected. The Florida Senate voted 22-18 favorably on a final version that would create a job dashboard and put Bright Futures into general appropriations. The bill, however, died in the Florida House of Representatives. In 2022, Baxley introduced a controversial bill into the Senate. The bill is known informally as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, which prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through grade 3. The legislation has been opposed by the American Bar Association, Equality Florida, and President Joe Biden. Despite that, in February 2022, the bill passed the Florida House. The House version of the bill (HB 1557) then passed the Florida Senate in March 2022, with Baxley in full support. Personal life A devout Southern Baptist, he is a father of five including two adopted children. References External links Florida House of Representatives - Dennis Baxley Florida Senate - Dennis Baxley Campaign Website |- |- |- |- |- 1952 births 21st-century American politicians Anti-LGBT sentiment Discrimination against LGBT people in the United States Florida State University alumni Living people Mayors of places in Florida Politicians from Ocala, Florida Republican Party Florida state senators Republican Party members of the Florida House of Representatives Southern Baptists