Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) issued 12 executive orders from Feb. 20-26. As of Feb. 26, DeSantis has issued 46 executive orders in 2023—three more than he did at this point a year ago.
Governors use executive orders to manage executive branch operations. During the week of Feb. 20-26, the nation’s governors issued 19 executive orders. DeSantis issued the most with 12. Governors in 44 states issued the fewest with zero. Democratic governors issued seven of the 19 orders, while Republican governors issued 12.
DeSantis has served as governor since Jan. 8, 2019. He issued 272 executive orders in 2022 and 246 in 2021. Nationally, governors issued at least 1,559 executive orders in 2022. Governors have issued 272 executive orders in 2023. Republican governors issued 184, while Democratic governors issued 88. Florida is a Republican trifecta, meaning Republicans control the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature.
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