With Florida public schools set to open next month, the hot topic on every parent's mind is whether their kids will have to wear masks when they return to classes. In response to the ongoing debate and changing guidelines from federal health officials, Gov. Ron DeSantis held another panel discussion at the Capitol Monday with a stacked deck of participants who spoke against mask mandates. One even equated wearing masks to child abuse. There was no advance notice of the meeting; reporters didn't get wind of it till the governor's daily schedule was emailed at 9:21 p.m. “With the recent uptick in discussion around mask mandates in schools this upcoming academic year, and indications that the federal government might advise masking children as young as 3 years old, Governor DeSantis wanted to exchange perspectives on this topic with experts like Dr. (Jay) Bhattacharya and other medical professionals, as well as a concerned parent, student, and school administrator,” said his spokeswoman, Taryn Fenske.