Florida Lawmakers

Government affairs firm Capital City Consulting announced that former senior advisor to Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) Heather Barker has been hired by the firm. The former senior advisor will head the firm’s political fundraising, charitable and non-profit fundraising, and assist in “business development and the facilitation of business-to-business strategic partnerships,” according to Capital City Consulting’s […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—The Florida Legislature's second attempt at social media regulations for children has passed the Senate Floor, providing for increased parental rights provisions. The bill replaces its sister measure, which was killed by the Governor after outcries for increased parental discretion. Sponsored by Republican Sen. Erin Grall, HB 1 would have issued a blanket ban […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—A Republican Lawmaker accused of racism for saying that slaves were paid has turned the spotlight on Democrats, claiming that liberals want to ban books that support his assertion that some slaves received wages. Last week, Republican Rep. Alex Andrade took part in a heated discussion over HB 1291 on the House Floor, a […]

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 […]

Representative Brian Mast (R-FL) released a video on social media providing a rationale for refusing to vote for the continuing resolution (CR) in order to fund the government. 97 Republicans – including Rep. Mast – voted against the CR as well as two Democrats. The bill passed 320-99. Rep. Mast pointed out that CRs have […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—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 measure will be seen on the Senate Floor, one that they hope is more agreeable to the Governor. "I have vetoed HB […]

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 […]