Florida Lawmakers

PALM BEACH, FL—The Florida Democratic Party is under fire from some African American members accusing its Central Committee of racism for ousting two embattled black county chairs but choosing to keep a third white one in office. The three chairs from Miami-Dade, Franklin, and Palm Beach counties were suspended on March 4th by Party Chair […]

Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) joined freedom fighters on the campaign trail in Miami calling for freedom and democracy in Cuba. Within those demands, Sen. Scott condemned President Joe Biden and his administration’s refusal to hold the Cuban regime accountable for its human rights atrocities. He also called for the release of Cuban human rights advocate, […]

State Representative Tom Leek (R-Ormond Beach) is running for Florida State Senate District 7 as State Senator Travis Hutson (R-FL-7) has been term-limited. Since announcing his candidacy for the State Senate, Rep. Leek has received the endorsement of all four sheriffs in Senate District 7 including the counties of Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia. […]

Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) introduced bipartisan legislation known as the Early Action and Responsiveness Lifts Youth (EARLY) Minds Act, a bill that looks to provide early intervention and prevention services to children and adults struggling with mental health challenges. According to Rep. Castor, statistics show that over 20% of youth report “serious contemplation of suicide” […]

ORMOND BEACH, FL—All four local sheriffs representing Florida's Senate District 7 have endorsed Republican Rep. Tom Leek for the newly vacant Senate seat in the Republican Primary. Republican Sen. Travis Hutson held the seat for eight years and already endorsed Leek in his current bid against pro-athlete Gerry James for the Republican nomination. “I am […]

JACKSONVILLE, FL—Monday morning Governor Ron DeSantis ceremoniously signed the social media ban for most kids under 16, a controversial topic that plagued the Legislature and may now face legal challenges. After DeSantis vetoed a previous form of the bill that called for a blanket ban on kids under 16 using social media platforms—regardless of parental wishes—the […]

Gigapower – the joint venture between AT&T and BlackRock – has announced that it is expanding its “state-of-the-art” fiber network to Okaloosa County, Crestview, and Fort Walton Beach, Florida. AT&T announced a similar expansion in August of 2022 as it moved into Mesa, Arizona. The company’s venture with BlackRock, the infrastructure giant that ushers in […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—Governor Ron DeSantis signed a Republican-led, watered-down bill loosening child labor laws on Friday afternoon, leading to questions of why the Legislature's conservative supermajority would be willing to remove the bill's teeth. "If you look at what was originally filed, and then compare it to what eventually passed, I think that's a really interesting story […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—Governor Ron DeSantis has awarded $9.5 million toward restoring the struggling third largest barrier reef system in the world—Florida's own coral reefs. Through Florida's Coral Reef Restoration and Recovery Initiative, DeSantis has granted $9.5 million to safeguard Florida's Coral Reef, which is the third-largest barrier reef system behind Australia's Great Barrier Reef and the […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—An education priority of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo has gone mostly unnoticed in the state's budget, providing funding to afterschool programs allowing children to earn money for learned skills, and then donate the money to a charity of their choice. "It's special for the Senate President," Katie Betta, Passidomo's Communications Director, told The Floridian. "It's […]

During the last House session for the month, House Republicans overwhelmingly voted in favor of repealing a portion of the Clean Air Act, creating the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The final vote was 209 in favor of passing the repeal, with 204 opposed, making it a narrow victory for Republicans as the bill passed along […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—The Sunshine State announced an economic milestone Friday morning, highlighting that Florida's unemployment rate has been lower than the national rate for 40 consecutive months, though staffing shortages still remain. “Florida continues to outperform the nation,” Governor Ron DeSantis said.“We have proven that bold, conservative leadership across the board produces booming economic results—more jobs, […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—Chairwoman of the Democratic Party Nikki Fried torched Governor Ron DeSantis' praise of Florida's low unemployment rate, urging the Governor to not "take credit" for the achievement and to refocus on lowering inflation-spiked costs. "Instead of trying to take credit for our country’s low unemployment, the Governor should focus on finding long-term solutions to […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—Friday morning Governor Ron DeSantis nominated his long-time aide and Budget Director to become the next Executive Director of the State Board of Administration, which oversees Florida's struggling pension plans. Chris Spencer, the Director of Policy and Budget for the Governor, will go before the State Board of Administration's (SBA) trustees—Attorney General Ashley Moody, […]

Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL) – the Chairman of the Health Subcommittee – led a letter with 19 other congressmen to address the cyberattack against Change Healthcare. Attacks such as these can be incredibly serious as researchers at the University of Minnesota revealed that there’s a nearly 21 percent increase in mortality for patients in a ransomware-attacked hospital. […]

Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) blamed Republicans for “ripping into your wallets” as they allegedly do not support standards for energy-efficient appliances, standards that she supports. During a committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Rep. Castor argued that energy-efficient appliances have been “widely popular.” Once again, the @HouseGOP is ripping into your wallets. My neighbors want lower […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—The Florida Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Seminole Gaming Compact Thursday morning, allowing the Seminole Tribe to continue online sports betting. “This is a major victory for the people of the State of Florida, who can count on billions of dollars over the coming years to fund important state needs,” Seminole Tribe […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—Governor Ron DeSantis has just received the controversial bill banning some minors on social media platforms, indicating its signage into law may be imminent. After DeSantis vetoed a previous form of the bill that called for a blanket ban on kids under 16 using social media platforms—regardless of parental wishes—the Legislature quickly drafted new language […]