Top Florida Republicans praise California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s banning of homeless camps

GOP Rep. Sam Garrison, in line to be the next Fla. House speaker, said he was glad Newsom acknowledged ‘the damage chronic homelessness does to communities and businesses.’

Top Florida Republicans, including a leading lawmaker and governor’s office staff, are applauding Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom for his executive order to remove homeless encampments across the Golden State.

“I’m glad to see Governor Newsom finally accept reality and acknowledge the damage chronic homelessness does to communities and businesses,” said state Rep. Sam Garrison, R-Fleming Island, in a statement.

Garrison, who is in line to be Florida House speaker in 2026-28, thanked Gov. Ron DeSantis for signing “Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping” (HB 1365), which prohibits local municipalities from allowing people to camp or sleep on public property.

“The Free State of Florida rejects the siren song of comfortable inaction and instead chooses to lead the way,” Garrison added.

The order requires state departments and agencies in California to address encampments on state property. Notices to vacate must be posted at least 48 hours in advance, and personal property will be bagged, tagged and stored for at least 60 days, according to the executive order.

“No more excuses. We’ve provided the time. We’ve provided the funds. Now it’s time for locals to do their job,” Newsom wrote in a post on X.

California’s move to ban homeless encampments comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in late June it’s not “cruel and unusual” to fine and jail people for being camping and living in public spaces.

DeSantis spokesman Bryan Griffin urged California to make the executive order a state law. “Keep following the Florida model,” he posted on X.

Christina Pushaw, the special projects director for DeSantis’ communications team, wrote in a social post that she was doubtful Newsom could enforce his executive order.

“I do hope California is able to clean up the homeless encampments because they’re squalid, dangerous, and should not exist in a civilized society. However, as with anything Newsom says, I’ll believe it when I see it,” she wrote.

As previously reported, the deadline to comply with Florida’s new anti-camping law is drawing near, and local municipalities are scrambling to comply.

In March, the City of Orlando was looking at facilities for an emergency overnight shelter, said spokesperson Ashley Papagni.

And the Tampa Bay Times recently reported Pinellas County law enforcement agencies have started to track the location and number of homeless people who sleep outside.

DeSantis has touted the state’s anti-camping law as the “Florida Model,” a way to keep the state from looking like San Francisco, a city that he had previously said “collapsed because of leftist policies.”

DeSantis and Newsom have a fierce rivalry, even debating each other last year on Fox News. Newsom has criticized DeSantis over abortion and immigration, and DeSantis has consistently used California as an example of what Florida isn’t.

“We’re basically saying in the state of Florida, a municipality or county is just simply not allowed to embrace San Francisco-style policies,” DeSantis said in March. “You can make other choices, but you can’t make that choice. Why? Because every time that choice has been made, the result has been destructive.”

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) counted 18,815 year-round shelter beds in emergency, safe haven and transitional housing in Florida. That same year, the state had 30,756 people experiencing homelessness, with 15,482 people unsheltered.

In 2023, the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found Hardee, Hendry and Highlands counties had the second-highest rate of homelessness in the nation.

Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@gannett.com.