DeSantis Kills Social Media ban Bill.
The eighth week of the Florida Session was jam-packed with groundbreaking legislation, with Lawmakers pushing several bills through the Legislature and onto the Governor's desk. The biggest bill signed this week was a measure allowing for the unsealing of Jeffrey Epstein's grand jury documents, hoping for increased transparency and the unveiling of potential bad actors in the criminal justice system.Not all bills passed by the Legislature have been successful. In a rare move, Gov. DeSantis vetoed a controversial social media ban for minors—but the Senate has a plan: they have waived the legislative rules and will draw up another bill next week with new language agreed to by the Governor.
Other bills had their final farewell in the Capitol this week, including a contested civil liability bill that would have created a "fetal personhood" definition: hurting Democrats' chances at enshrining abortion access in the state Constitution. In a surprise postponement last week, it appears the bill is dead.
Finally, the House is fighting an uphill battle, pushing bills through their chamber that don't have a shot in the Senate, including a Parkland-era gun-buying bill and a measure dealing with biological sex. With controversy and heated debate on all sides, it will be interesting to see what the next and final week of the 60-day Legislative Session will bring.
For an all-encompassing recap of this week's most jarring legislative moves, read on in the newest edition of the Lounge Newsletter.
On Jeffrey Epstein's Documents:
Gov. Ron DeSantis: “The public deserves to know who participated in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking. Nobody should be protected from facing justice due to their wealth or status, and those who harm children should be exposed and punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
Sen. Tina Polsky: "The public and the victims deserve to know if prosecutors steered the jury away from indicting Epstein on more severe charges. We need to know if the system worked or failed in the pursuit of justice of this heinous individual."
On Parkland Gun Law Reversal:
Rep. Bobby Payne: "People need to be able to protect themselves. Some Democrats who want to take our guns complain about gun violence—much of which is black-on-black crime and the use of stolen guns. Criminals attack innocent people every day."
Rep. Yvonne Hinson: "It's not if there's going to be another mass shooting, but when. Six of the nine deadliest mass shootings in the United States since 2018 were by people under 21."
DeSantis Applauded for Pulling Plug on Controversial Social Media Bill
Gov. Ron DeSantis has officially killed the highly contested social media ban for minors, but that doesn't mean the Legislature is done with regulating these platforms. On Monday, Lawmakers quickly drafted Plan B...READ MORE
DeSantis Signs Law Publicizing Sealed Epstein Court Documents
The grand jury documents from Jeffrey Epstein's 2006 Florida trial will be released in less than five months, due to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signing a new law mandating grand jury testimony of dead pedophiles...READ MORE
Florida's Wrongful Death Bill to be Killed Before the Floor—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—At a press avail Wednesday, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo seemingly announced the death of a controversial bill that would have expanded Florida's Wrongful...
'Black-on-Black Crime': House Fighting Losing Battle to Reverse Parkland Gun-Buying Law—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—The Florida House is trying to lower the rifle-buying age to 18, reversing a 2018 law enacted following the massacre at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas...
Florida Prepared to Send a Platoon of State Guardsmen to Texas Border—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—The newly confirmed Director of the Florida State Guard announced that only five members of the organization are currently at the Texas border, though...
Florida Crackdown on Vapes Causes Fears of Big Tobacco's Power—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—Florida is cracking down on vapes, limiting their sale exclusively to Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—approved products, worrying business owners and smokers...
Florida House Passes Bill Creating Homeless Camps, Banning Public Sleeping—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—The Florida House has passed a Republican-led bill banning sleeping on public property and requiring local governments to fund homeless camps, leading Democrats...
'A Stain on Human Existence': Anti-Communism Classes to Come to Florida Schools—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—Florida schools are one step closer to implementing instruction on the history of, and the "increasing threat" of, communism, due to a bill barreling...
Religious Officials in Public Schools One Step Closer to Becoming Law—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—A bill allowing volunteer religious officials in public schools passed its final Senate Committee Monday afternoon, drawing criticisms over untrained professionals...
Florida's Artificial Intelligence Crackdown Passes the House Floor—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—In an age of increasing artificial intelligence, the Florida House has passed a bill requiring a disclaimer for AI use in political advertisements, imposing a first-degree...
Pregnancy Resource Website Faces Backlash Over Surgeon General, Crisis Pregnancy Centers—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—A Florida bill would create a taxpayer-funded website housed under the Department of Health and would compile all pregnancy resources...
Child Trafficking Bill Speeding Through Florida Legislature—By the Floridian's Mateo Guillamont—Senator Jonathan Martin’s (R-33) proposed law on ‘lewd & lascivious’ grooming has received unanimous support within committees in the Florida Senate and...
Drunk Drivers Beware: Florida's Zero Tolerance DUI Bill Clears the Senate—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—The option to refuse a breathalyzer test has been all but removed with a new anti-drunk driving bill that passed the Senate Floor Friday afternoon, threatening...
Florida Senate Resistance to Biological Sex and Gender Bill Won't Stop the House—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—A hotly-contested bill changing driver's license requirements from "gender" to "sex" is dead in the Senate, though that hasn't stopped the House...
DeSantis to Veto Republican-Led Social Media Ban for Kids—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—Senate President Kathleen Passidomo told reporters that she believes Gov. DeSantis will veto Republicans' highly controversial social media ban for minors, and the...
Dems May Score a Big Win: Florida's Wrongful Death Bill On Life Support—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—A bill, which critics claim defines fetal personhood, was suddenly postponed before its final committee, raising questions about whether the bill will pass...
Children's Day at the Capitol Touts Diversion Youth Program for the Arts—By the Floridian's Liv Caputo—Tuesday kicked off Children's Day at the Capitol, with the Progidy Cultural Arts Program for at-risk youth visiting Tallahassee in hopes of earning $3.5 million...
State Legislators Hold Israel Day at the Capitol to Support Jewish State—By the Floridian's Jackson Bakich—Florida legislators in the state government declared Thursday to be Israel Day at the Capitol. Speakers for the event included State Senators Ana Maria Rodriguez...
