Florida Lawmakers
Along with up-to-date political coverage, The Floridian takes the opportunity to write about the profiles of Florida lawmakers, senators, & other politicians. Read more here!
TALLAHASSEE, FL—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 first-time offenders with license suspension or a year-long interlock device. Proposed by Republican Sen. Nick DiCeglie, SB 260 punishes drunk drivers who want to refuse a blood, urine, […]
President Joe Biden (D) and former President Donald Trump (R) visited separate areas of the southern border on Thursday. President Biden appeared in Brownsville, Texas while President Trump appeared in Eagle Pass, Texas. Lone Star State Representative in the U.S. House Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) said that Brownsville has a “much more orderly process than elsewhere […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—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. Despite being a "non-starter" in the Senate, the House is still trying to push this bill through the Legislature. "People need to be able to protect themselves," HB 1223's sponsor, […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—The Florida House has passed a Republican-led bill banning sleeping on public property and requiring local governments to fund homeless camps, leading Democrats to claim this will criminalize homelessness and lead to economic dependency on the federal government. "The status quo is not acceptable," Republican Rep. Sam Garrison, HB 1365's sponsor, said on the […]
Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) called on his fellow Floridians in the State Legislature to reject HB 789/SB 738 – legislation that “revises construction relating to causes of action for damages to real or personal property directly resulting from certain discharges or other conditions of pollution.” Some believe this bill would make it easier for polluters […]
SINE DIE! The final week of the Legislative Session has come and gone, and with it a series of scraps as Lawmakers rushed to pass their last-minute bills. Sine Die officially came at 2:27 PM on Friday, marked by the signature hanky-drop from the Capitol's sergeants, signifying session is over—and a flurry of bill signing […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—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 from trying to shove it through the Legislature. Sponsored by Republican Rep. Doug Bankson, the comprehensive HB 1639 revamps license requirements by asking for "sex" instead of "gender". Furthermore, it mandates insurance […]
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 (R-FL) and Jason Pizzo (D-FL), State Representative Randy Fine (R-FL), and survivors of the Oct. 7 attack, Millet Ben Haim and Rom El Hai. The Israel Day at the Capitol […]
PALM BEACH, FL—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 be publicly available. “The public deserves to know who participated in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking,” DeSantis said at a […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—Senate President Kathleen Passidomo told reporters that she believes Gov. DeSantis will veto Republicans' highly controversial social media ban for minors, and the Legislature will instead craft new language that the Governor agrees to. HB 1, sponsored by Republican Rep. Tyler Sirois and Republican Sen. Erin Grall, was passed by the Florida Legislature last […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—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 misdemeanor for those in violation. Proposed by Republican Rep. Alex Rizo, HB 919 requires a disclaimer on any political ad or digital content utilizing AI, to increase transparency […]
Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) provided a statement after political commentator Ben Shapiro posted a thread on social media detailing the rise of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) standards within the medical field. The thread also demonstrates the consequences of implementing these standards. Rep. Bilirakis, a Senior Member of the Health Subcommittee, gave his thoughts relating […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—At a press avail Wednesday, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo seemingly announced the death of a controversial bill that would have expanded Florida's Wrongful Death Act to unborn children. The bill had become a hot topic of debate for conversations involving abortion, IVF, and fetal personhood. "It needs more work," Passidomo, a Republican, told reporters […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—Florida schools are one step closer to implementing instruction on the history of, and the "increasing threat" of, communism, due to a bill barreling through the Florida Legislature. "27-30 percent of our children right now believe that communism is something that they'd like to try in this nation. If that doesn't bother you, I'm […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—A Florida bill would create a taxpayer-funded website housed under the Department of Health and would compile all pregnancy resources for expectant mothers. Opponents, however, criticized the Surgeon General and worried about the website's inclusion of unlicensed Crisis Pregnancy Centers. "The website will contain critical resources for pregnant women ranging from pre-natal care, maternal […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—Florida is cracking down on vapes, limiting their sale exclusively to Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—approved products, worrying business owners and smokers alike about increased powers to Big Tobacco. Proposed by Republican Sen. Keith Perry, SB 1006 limits vape sales to FDA-approved products and products under review for approval, which are exclusively products made […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—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 to continue diversion programs for low-income and struggling families. Partnered with Aetna Health, the Progidy Cultural Arts Program has been around for 23 years and serves eight counties. It's […]
Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL) sent a letter to President Joe Biden (D) in hopes of securing American intellectual property (IP) relating to COVID-19 vaccines. According to Rep. Buchanan’s press release, a proposal within the World Trade Organization (WTO) would waive IP protections for COVID-19 […]
