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!
Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) joined Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID) and five other U.S. senators in introducing the Venezuela Advancing Liberty, Opportunity, and Rights Act (VALOR Act). The bill would provide a blueprint for Venezuela to transition to a democratic government. The nation has been under Nicolas Maduro's dictatorship since 2013. The VALOR […]
A top civil rights group is suing Gov. Ron DeSantis for not setting special election dates for two legislative seats that are, or soon will be, vacant—more than a month after the resignations were announced. The suit was filed on behalf of two Floridians in Leon County Circuit Court Thursday by the American Civil Liberties […]
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday touted Florida's unique efforts to purify and increase the Sunshine State's water supply and quality amid rampant wildfires in water-short Los Angeles. While California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has taken nationwide heat for his state's ill-equipped response to wildfires that have spread to at least 17,000 acres of Los […]
Representatives Brian Mast (R-FL) and Chip Roy (R-TX) have introduced the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, a bill designed to "shield Israeli officials from the lawless and illegitimate attacks" of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The bill would impose sanctions on ICC officials who seek to go after U.S. citizens or allies, including Israel. It passed the House […]
Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan (R) has announced his membership in the bipartisan House Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus.
Reporters questioned President-elect Donald Trump (R) about his willingness to acquire Canada during his upcoming presidency. When asked if he would take it via military force, he said he could do so through "economic force." President-elect Trump was also asked about the opinion of Canadian conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who said America's northern neighbor would […]
Two top DeSantis staffers praised Florida's "dedicated" Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Tuesday for canceling the driver's license of a transgender person who "improperly changed" the ID's sex marker from male to female. The individual, who runs a popular Tiktok account called Jamesissmiling, had their license canceled and replaced by the Florida DMV […]
Gov. Ron DeSantis is still undecided on who he will pick to fill Marco Rubio's Senate seat, though he plans to make an announcement before President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20. According to Politico reporter Gary Fineout, Gov. DeSantis will likely wait for Sen. Rubio to resign his seat before he chooses the Florida […]
Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has released his legislative priorities heading into the 119th Congress. He intends to reintroduce bills regarding the economy, American seniors, the SNAP program, foreign policy, human trafficking, and other major issues in the United States. Sen. Scott also wants to introduce Constitutional amendments regarding term limits and congressional pay raises. “I’m […]
Gov. Ron DeSantis lauded Hillsborough County's first-ever female elected State Attorney, Suzy Lopez, at her Tuesday swearing-in two years after he swiftly suspended her predecessor and appointed Lopez to the post. Lopez, a Republican, tearfully thanked the star-studded conservative room minutes after her investiture ceremony and soon after Gov. DeSantis praised her respect for the […]
Florida Sen. Tina Polsky, a Democrat, filed a bill Tuesday that would repeal a state statute exclusively defining marriage as being between a man and a woman. While the 1997 statute has been inoperable since a 2015 Supreme Court ruling nixed all gay marriage bans, Sen. Polsky wants Florida to strike down its anti-gay language. […]
President-elect Donald Trump's (R) election victory has officially been certified during a Joint Session of Congress in the House of Representatives. The session was presided over by Vice President Kamala Harris (D), a rare moment in which a vice president has to certify their own election loss. President Trump won the race with 312 electoral […]
Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has released a statement after he was sworn into the United States Senate for the second time. He defeated former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL) by a double-digit margin. Scott's Statement In his statement, the Florida Senator recollected on his time as Florida governor and how that shaped his identity as a […]
Job seekers and public employees in Florida who use medical marijuana won't face repercussions for drug use from employers. At least, that's what Democrat state Rep. Mitch Rosenwald hopes for with his new bill, HB 83, filed on Friday. Under the bill—introduced in 2020 and again in 2024 by Democrat state Sen. Tina Polsky—job applicants […]
Members of the House Freedom Caucus (HFC) voted for newly re-elected Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) as Republicans head into the 119th Congress with a slim majority. While the House Freedom Caucus, including Representatives Chip Roy (R-TX), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), and Eli Crane (R-AZ), did in fact vote for Speaker Johnson, it appears they did so […]
The victory march does raise questions about political realignment and the future of politicians who switch parties after elections.
Following the first vote to elect a Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 119th Congress, former Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) failed to reach the threshold to retain the gavel as the first tally of the vote was 216-215-3. However, with Representatives Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Keith Self (R-TX) changing their votes for Speaker […]
Following the first vote to elect a Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 119th Congress, former Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has failed to reach the threshold to retain the gavel. This moment could be a massive roadblock not only for Republicans in the lower chamber but for President-elect Donald Trump (R) as the […]
