Social Media Ban Puts Parental Rights in Crosshairs
The past week at the Capitol has been a flurry of activity, with Lawmakers rushing to turn their bills into Florida law. With only a week and a half left in the 2024 Legislative Session, big bills related to Jeffrey Epstein and—in the most controversial news of the week—social media, lay on the Governor's desk, awaiting his signature.
The social media ban for minors under 16 has left a trail of angry parents, Democrats, and even DeSantis in its wake. Despite the Governor's call for increased parental rights provisions, the Legislature has pushed through their blanket ban on children on these platforms, leaving the big question of...Will DeSantis sign it?
In other big news, Florida Democrats are scrambling to snuff out a bill defining fetal personhood, potentially hurting their chances at an abortion amendment and, as it turns out, IVF treatments.
In the wake of the Alabama Supreme Court's ruling that frozen embryos are children under Alabama's Wrongful Death Act, Democrats worry that Florida's Wrongful Death bill will guarantee the Sunshine State the same fate as the Heart of Dixie.
With an election bill born and killed in the same week, the allowance of clergymen in schools, neo-nazis, and affordable housing, the Legislature made sure to cover it all. In the newest edition of the Lounge, we aim to break down what has occurred and discover the true goings-on about Florida's Capitol.
On Social Media:
Sen. Erin Grall:Â "We know that U.S. teen girls who had major depression nearly doubled from 2010 to 2020. ER visits due to self-inflicted wounds rose sharply from 2009 to 2019 among 10 to 19-year-old girls. Study after study relates the increases in the number of hours per day spent on electronic devices and addictive social media platforms to these results."
Sen. Blaise Ingoglia: "I have serious concerns with HB 1 from a constitutional perspective, and from a perspective of not being consistent when we say we want to empower parents."
On School Chaplains:
Rep. Kimberly Daniels:Â "I am the opponents of this bill's worst nightmare: I cast out devils, I pray in tongues, I'm a Holy Roller...Nobody on this floor can ever say that I tried to convert you. Jesus is too good to push down anybody's throat."
Rep. Ashley Gantt: "I think it was in Washington State when Satanists started going into schools and asking to do prayers—people were up in arms...We're really opening up a can of worms to allow that to happen. If that's not your intent, it's going to be a reaction to the ambiguity in this bill."
Abortion Access, IVF in Danger? Unborn Child Bill Faces Strong Opposition
A bill allowing parents to collect damages for the death of their unborn child would grant rights to a fetus at all development stages, raising concerns about abortion...READ MORE
Legislative Pushback: Florida Lawmakers Appear to Challenge DeSantis Over Social Media Bill
It appears as if Republican lawmakers in Tallahassee are pushing back (expected) against Governor Ron DeSantis over the controversial social media ban bill. Gov. DeSantis said...READ MORE
DeSantis: 'If You Don't Have a Border You Don't Have a Country'—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—During yet another press conference, Gov. Ron DeSantis hit on hot topics like troops at the Texas border, Hurricane Idalia relief, and Jeffrey Epstein, announcing...
'Tell Them to Vote Hell No!': Trump Republicans Furious at Florida's New Election Bill—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—Seven weeks into the nine-week Legislative Session, the Florida House has unveiled a major new election bill, reinstating runoff primaries...
Alabama's IVF Restrictions Strike Fear Into Florida Democrats—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—Democrats are demanding that a bill defining fetal personhood and expanding wrongful death actions to the unborn be killed on the Senate Floor. They worry that if it passes...
DeSantis Says 'Parents Need to Have a Role' on Controversial Social Media Bill—By the Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Florida HB1, which would ban minors from accessing social media, has faced considerable controversy since its introduction at the beginning of the...
DeSantis Pursues Epstein Grand Jury Documents—By the Floridian's Daniel Molina—Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is throwing his support behind the release of Jeffrey Epstein’s grand jury documents. From his criminal activities to his mysterious death...
'I Cast Out Devils': Bill Allowing Clergymen in Public Schools Faces Democratic Backlash—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—The Florida House moved Thursday afternoon to allow school districts to employ volunteer religious officials as counselors in public schools, dividing...
Florida Lawmakers Decry Neo-Nazi Rally as Red Sea anti-Israel Attacks Intensify—By the Floridian's Mateo Guillamont—A Neo-Nazi rally was reportedly held over St. Valentine’s weekend in Winter Park, Florida. Florida Representative Anna Eskamani (D-42)...
Florida Legislature Pushing for National Constitutional Budget Amendment—By the Floridian's Mateo Guillamont—A resolution seeking to amend the US Constitution to grant the President line-item veto power when approving bills is progressing through...
Defamation Bill Faces Claims of Back-Door Dealings, Unconstitutionality—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—The bill sponsor for a defamation bill threatening increased penalties for journalists and news outlets faced bizarre allegations of secret, back-door dealings...
'We are the Bogeyman': Tense Debate Follows Bill Banning Community IDs for Illegal Immigrants—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—A bill banning local governments from providing community IDs to illegal immigrants passed its final committee stop Wednesday afternoon...
The Republican-led Florida Legislature Channels Communist China With New Social Media Bill—By the Floridian's Javier Manjarres—For the past few years, the Republican-led state legislature has passed some very pro-Florida, pro-family legislative measures, but just as members have...
Landmark Affordable Housing Bill Faces Adversity in State Senate Due to Loophole—By the Floridian's Jackson Bakich—With her stint as the leader of the upper chamber in Florida’s state government dwindling in the sunset, State Senate President Kathleen Passidomo...
Florida House Cracks Down on Hemp, Divides Republicans—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—A bill banning delta-8 and capping THC milligrams in hemp products divided House Republicans Tuesday afternoon, raising concerns about the economy and sick patients...
DeSantis Marks One Year After Eliminating Disney's Reedy Creek—By the Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) held a press conference Thursday in Lake Buena Vista highlighting the changes brought by eliminating the Disney-owned Reedy Creek...
Alina Garcia is Running for Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections—By the Floridian's Daniel Molina—Florida Rep. Alina Garcia (R) has officially announced that she will be running for Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Election. In an exclusive interview with The Floridian...
AG Commissioner Simpson Says Kratom Should be Regulated and 'Not Sold to Children'—By the Floridian's Jackson Bakich—Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson (R-FL) provided his thoughts concerning kratom, the herbal substance growing in...
Drugs, Communism, Confederacy: Update on Seven Big Florida Bills—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—As the 9-week Legislative Session nears its end on March 8, Lawmakers are scrambling to get their bills passed, including a series of controversial measures involving...
'Israel Day at the Capitol' Pushed for by Book—By the Floridian's Mateo Guillamont—Florida Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book (D-35) has filed legislation to designate February 29, 2024 as “Israel Day at the Capitol.” Senator Book introduced SR1826 as sundry...
