Florida's Republican legislature enacted HB 233, called the "Viewpoint Diversity" bill, signed by Governor DeSantis, which allows students to record lectures without notice or consent with some limits. Republican legislators cited hypothetical parental fears as justification for the law. The United Faculty of Florida union warned faculty and recommended teaching adjustments under the new legal climate. Florida law generally criminalizes recording without consent except for in-person communications where no reasonable expectation of privacy exists. Republican policy preferences favor weakening collective worker power so employees must negotiate with employers individually rather than through unions.
In the face of real problems, the Republican legislature of my adopted state of Florida has been busy addressing fictional problems and undermining democracy. For example, HB 233, the "Viewpoint Diversity" bill, was signed by Governor DeSantis. When Republicans were asked for examples of problems the bill was intended to address, they could only refer to some parents being worried about things that might happen because the Republicans had been scaring them about things that have not happened.
As would be expected, Florida Republicans do not like this union any more than they like most other unions, the police unions being a notable and expected exception. The Republican ideal seems to be that employees should face off against institutions and businesses as isolated individuals, operating from a position of weakness. Engaging with an employer as an individual is like trying to play alone against a full football team: the worker is going to get crushed.
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