Most likely this drain of academics was an intended effect of the laws passed under DeSantis. The loss of academics hobbles institutes of higher learning while positions remain unfilled, resulting in a more ignorant populace. It also opens the possibility for far right extremists to infiltrate academia to corrupt academic thought and principles from within. The danger of ultra right wing, bigoted, nationalistic, authoritarianism continues to grow. How long before more right wing states follow suit?
Conservatives have been gutting education for 40 years. Look at the educational outcomes in Republican run states. They like ignorant, meaning uneducated voters. Crippling higher education is definitely their goal.
The voters may not want the economy to suffer but DeSantis and his cronies do. It's part of the GOP playbook. Damage the economy with tax cuts and other legislation, then blame the Democrats for the bad economy. Their voters always fall for it.
My wife has extended family from Mississippi. They are some of the stupidest people I have ever met. They all, and I mean ALL, send their kids to private schools so they won't have to attend alongside black kids. One of her cousins was just down visiting with us and I walked in while she was ranting about how "I know trump is blahbidyblah, but things were so much better under him... just look at the GAS PRICES screee scrawww hurr durr". I did the ol' Grandpa Simpson about face and checked tf out before I said something ugly and upset my wife (not that she actually agrees with her cousin or anything, I just need to be nice...)