Ron DeSantis administration starts withholding funds to punish schools for defying his mask mandate ban

The administration of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is now making good on his threats to start withholding money from schools that are defying his ban on mask mandates during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

According to Miami Herald reporter Ana Ceballos, Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran announced on Friday that "the state will withhold state funds from Broward and Alachua public schools, targeting school officials compensation, as a result of them violating Gov. Ron DeSantis' mask orders."

DeSantis has faced multiple headaches when trying to enforce his mask mandate ban, as five major Florida school districts -- Miami-Dade County, Hillsborough County, Palm Beach County, Broward County, and Alachua County -- have all defied his orders and have brought back mask mandates.

Additionally, the Biden administration has said it is considering ways to help fund schools that defy DeSantis, which means that it's not clear whether his latest actions will have significant teeth.