While some states—primarily those under politically left-leaning administrations—continue to enforce strict mandates two years into the pandemic, states such as Florida have maintained relative autonomy in economic and social freedoms. In an interview with The Epoch Times, conducted earlier this month by e-mail, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis discussed his state’s policies and his approach to keeping the state open to economic prosperity by the limitation of government-enforced COVID-19 mandates. He also talked about how America’s constitutional framework ensures that states have the power to protect individual rights. The Epoch Times: Sir, we have now witnessed nearly two years of world crisis, in which governance has gone from proactive response to maintenance, and perhaps manipulation. What is the proper role of the national government in a biological crisis, and do you believe mandates—whether Trump’s “15 days to slow the spread” or Biden’s (now overturned) vaccine requirements for business—were necessary? Gov. Ron DeSantis: In early 2020, …