Florida Lawmakers

The Biden administration's eleventh-hour proposal to lower nicotine concentrations in cigarettes has led some Floridians to fear a billion-dollar impact in state revenue and an eruption in black market cigarettes. The Food and Drug Administration proposed the plan Wednesday, just days before President Joe Biden will step down in favor of Donald Trump. The plan […]

Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has joined Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) in introducing the No Tax on Tips Act, a bill that attempts to institute the legislation’s title nationwide. The bill exempts “cash tips” – cash, credit and debit card charges, and checks – from federal income tax by allowing taxpayers to claim a 100% above-the-line deduction […]

Filmmaker RaMell Ross premiered his Tallahassee-set film Nickel Boys Thursday night, the first screening in the city after its debut in other locations, months after Florida approved millions in restitution for boys tortured at the reform school that inspired the story. Ross, 42, spoke to The Floridian by phone after Florida A&M University hosted a […]

Former Florida State Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) appeared in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing to be the next U.S. Attorney General. Bondi was asked about the 2020 election, the potential pardoning of January 6th protestors, and whether she would be more loyal to the Constitution or President-elect Donald Trump […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday confirmed a double-header of government appointments, revealing that his Chief of Staff James Uthmeier will succeed Ashley Moody as Florida's Attorney General once she leaves office to become a U.S. Senator. The sequence of musical chairs began in November when President-elect Donald Trump poached Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for Secretary […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that he will appoint Attorney General Ashley Moody to the U.S. Senate, filling the seat soon to be vacated by Sen. Marco Rubio. Moody, 49, will take over the remaining two years of Rubio's term after he leaves the upper chamber to become the next Secretary of State. "I'm proud to […]

As a handful of Floridians are about to begin service inside The West Wing for the incoming Trump administration, a familiar last name is heading back to Washington. Caroline Wiles, daughter of President-elect Donald Trump's (R) campaign manager and current White House Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, has accepted a position with the prominent lobbying […]

Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) appeared in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday not to ask or answer questions, but to introduce former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) to those on the dais. Former AG Bondi served in the position during Sen. Scott's tenure as the Governor of Florida (2011-2019) and now awaits […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday ratcheted up the pressure on Florida lawmakers to convene a special session addressing illegal immigration, prompted by criticism from within that his plan was "premature" and lacked specifics. At a press conference in Winter Haven, DeSantis said he was "surprised" top Republican lawmakers had published a letter Monday night condemning […]

A Florida Democrat filed a new bill Monday to ban state agencies from using taxpayer money to fund campaigns influencing proposed amendments, inspired by the DeSantis administration's controversial use of public funds to combat two ballot items. Tina Polsky, a state Senator from Boca Raton, told The Floridian that her bill is a direct response to reports […]

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) has launched a $20 million nationwide campaign calling on the legislative branch to renew President-elect Donald Trump's (R) Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). AFP describes this bill as "a cornerstone of AFP and the Trump Administration’s shared economic agenda this year." The group also describes this campaign as the "largest effort […]

President-elect Donald Trump waded into a power struggle between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican leaders Tuesday, throwing his political weight behind the Florida Governor in his call for a special session. The special session, which DeSantis announced would be held at the end of the month, is supposed to bolster Trump's efforts to squash illegal […]

Florida Senate Democratic Leader Jason Pizzo, seen as a potential gubernatorial candidate in 2026, is unfazed by who Republicans may select as their nominee after Gov. Ron DeSantis' term ends. When asked whether former Rep. Matt Gaetz or current Rep. Byron Donalds—both of whom have toyed with the idea of running for governor—would be the […]

State Senator Randy Fine (R-FL) has announced his intention to reintroduce legislation that would end college tuition subsidies for illegal immigrants attending Florida state colleges and universities. The bill, SB 90, would reverse a 2014 state law that applies to 40 of the Sunshine State's institutions of higher education which currently gives undocumented migrants tuition […]

Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has introduced legislation alongside Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) known as the Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act. This bill increases the criminal penalties for swatting by expanding the federal criminal hoax statute to specifically prohibit “swatting” hoaxes. "Swatting," as it is known, is the act of […]

Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) discussed who would replace the outgoing Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) in a recent press conference, and for the first time signaled who his choice could be— Representative Kat Cammack (R-FL). When asked about possibly choosing Rep. Cory Mills, Gov. DeSantis made a strong case for Rep. Cammack, calling her "a fighter" […]

Florida Democrats are furious at "BIG MAD" Governor Ron DeSantis (R), arguing that his call for a special session is as authoritarian as it gets.

Gov. Ron DeSantis' newly announced special session will consider altering Florida's citizen petition process, prompted by the state's slew of battles against now-failed amendments legalizing marijuana and most abortions. DeSantis claimed that many of the petitions to get those amendments on the 2024 ballot were not just fraudulent, as the Department of State alleged, but […]