DeSantis wanted to get tough on employer vaccine mandates. Legislators reined him in

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — When Gov. Ron DeSantis announced last month that he wanted to call a special session to penalize companies that require employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19, state Sen. Aaron Bean, a veteran Republican lawmaker who has spent much of his 17-year legislative career working on health care issues, knew the idea was going to have problems. “I want to stand for freedom,’’ said Bean, of Jacksonville. “But there’s also the argument that if I own a small company, and I have underlying health conditions, and I want to make sure all those that interact with me are safe, are vaccina...