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—Florida's State Board of Education announced last week their imposition of "strict regulations" on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives on college campuses, leading the James Madison Institute, a libertarian non-profit think tank, to laud the state's efforts. The board's ruling will prohibit taxpayer funds going toward DEI programs and replaces the "Principles of Sociology" […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—A new bill would help fund local law enforcement agencies in their efforts to create sting operations to track down and arrest child predators. The bill would financially assist agents who pose as children online to locate and prosecute pedophiles and child abusers. "There are countless stories hearing about sting operations," HB 1131's sponsor, […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—The Florida House passed a measure banning social media for minors Wednesday afternoon, citing positively correlated levels of child suicide and usage of these platforms. Meanwhile, Democrats voiced concerns over restricted parental rights and the positives that social media can provide. "Studies have shown that social media is having a devastating impact on our […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—Florida is on the precipice of joining 8 other states in prohibiting minors from visiting porn websites. This bill requires pornographic websites to impose an age verification tool, ban access to minors, and have a readily available link on their site to report violations. "When you live in a world where there is a […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—Florida is calling for an Article V Convention to circumvent Congress and amend the U.S. Constitution to provide term limits for Congressional members. 34 states would have to call for an Article V Convention, which has never happened before, in order to amend the Constitution. "For hundreds of years, for decades now, everyone has […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—Exposing fentanyl to first responders would become a first-degree felony under a proposed Florida bill. The measure would penalize any user whose fentanyl causes a law enforcement officer or first responder to overdose or incur serious bodily harm. "This bill makes sure that individuals that put our first responders' lives at risk are held […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL — A new Florida bill would strengthen the penalties for driving without a valid license, making third-time offenders liable for a stint in jail. Though the bill passed the committee unanimously, concerns were raised over the impact on immigrant drivers. SB 1324, sponsored by Republican Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, creates a three-level process for […]
Much like it has been the case with one stroke of Governor Ron DeSantis’s veto pen, a legislative measure that would pay for former President Donald Trump’s legal bills, and the legal bills of any future political statewide candidates, was nixed, or withdrawn from consideration in the Florida Senate. Fresh off of his withdrawal from […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—Keiser University will host their annual "Keiser Days" at the Florida Capitol during the fourth week of the Legislative Session. The school hopes to continue addressing the growing nursing shortage in the state and win big with a new bill designed to help nurse anesthetists. "As one of Florida's largest private, non-profit universities, Keiser […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—A new education bill would prohibit teachers' prep classes from including a curriculum on the existence of systemic racism, sexism, or oppression in Florida institutions. The bill would also prevent "identity politics" and any "distortion of historical events". "I am looking for the best environment for our students so they can be as successful […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—A Florida bill expanding health insurance coverage to people de-transitioning from sex reassignment procedures and changing requirements on licenses from "gender" to "sex" passed down party lines Monday afternoon. In a lengthy public testimony and debate, Democrats opposed the bill for its alleged dangerous impact on transgender communities. "I call this the compassion and […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—A new Florida bill would create a $5 million "Freedom Fighters Fund" to pay former President Donald Trump's legal fees, who currently faces 91 felony counts. Backed by the state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, the money would come from fees paid by candidates running for office and restored with voluntary donations when a […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—As Lawmakers enter the third week of the Legislative Session, with it comes a slew of hard-hitting bills, sure to ignite debate in both chambers. This week's agenda covers sex reassignment insurance coverage, the banning of identity politics in teacher preparation courses, drunk driving, and much more. Licenses and Drunk Driving Monday will see […]
In the wake of Gov. DeSantis' staggering defeat in Iowa, Florida pushes on; continuing their rapid-fire slew of novel legislation in the second week of the 60-day Legislative session. From a sprawling defamation bill to felonies for child groomers to reworked child labor laws, Florida lawmakers made sure to cover it all. In addition, the […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL---A new bill defining and punishing child-grooming passed House committee Friday afternoon, branding offenders with a second-degree felony. If the bill becomes law, it would make Florida the first state to have a criminal definition of grooming. "The closest thing to the Devil in human form are the people that do this." The sponsor […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL --- Senate President Kathleen Passidomo's sweeping healthcare agenda is on the move, following the Florida Senate's unanimous passage of her widespread reforms Thursday morning. Key points of the plan include increasing Floridian doctors and generating new facilities for women to give birth. The project is composed of two bills, SB 7016 and SB […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL --- A new bill would classify allegations of racism, sexism, or homophobia as defamation, branding the defendant with fines of up to $35,000. The legislation would also remove a journalist's usage of anonymous sources, facilitating the process to sue a reporter for defamation. SB 1780, proposed by Republican Sen. Jason Brodeur, considers claims […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL --- Watchdog group Defend Florida held a press conference Wednesday afternoon, advocating for tighter election security and elimination of voter fraud. Florida Republican lawmakers Rep. Rick Roth and Rep. Doug Bankson were among the speakers, highlighting 8 bills this session designed to protect elections. "We don't have ballot security in the state of […]
