Florida Legislature

TALLAHASSEE—There's not a "need" to fund positions in the budget for Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis's Hope Florida charity, one appropriations chair said Wednesday. Republican Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, the chair of the budget conference on Pre-K-12 Education, noted that while negotiations between the House and Senate are ongoing and subject to change, the House doesn't […]

TALLAHASSEE—There's not a "need" to fund positions in the budget for Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis's Hope Florida charity, one appropriations chair said Wednesday. Republican Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, the chair of the budget conference on Pre-K-12 Education, noted that while negotiations between the House and Senate are ongoing and subject to change, the House doesn't […]

Anastasios "Stasi" Kamoutsas, a top aide to Gov. Ron DeSantis, was confirmed as the next Education Commissioner in a unanimous vote on Wednesday, just one day after another prospective education leader was shot down by DeSantis allies. The Florida Board of Education resoundingly approved of Kamoutsas, one of DeSantis's four deputy Chief of Staff officers, […]

June 1 marks the start of  the 2025 hurricane season, and an effort to curb looting following a natural disaster has been introduced as the Law On Offender Transgressions During Emergencies and Recovery (LOOTER) Act. The bill was proposed by U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean, (R), as a means “to protect communities from criminals who exploit […]

In a sequel to his stringent anti-squatter law signed last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a pair of bills targeting squatters at hotels, motels, and commercial businesses on Monday. DeSantis lauded the Sunshine State's massive strides in property rights at a bill-signing ceremony hosted in Sarasota Monday morning, where he greenlit SB 322, "Property Rights," […]

John Thrasher, Florida's former House Speaker and ex-President of Florida State University, passed away following a battle with cancer at the age of 81, his family announced Friday. "President Thrasher, who also served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and as a member of the Florida Senate, passed away this morning (May 30), […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis ripped into the Legislature for not fulfilling their "one responsibility" to pass a budget, blaming lawmakers for failing to provide Floridians with a tax holiday ahead of the state's months-long looming hurricane season. DeSantis's comments came at a Jupiter press conference on Friday, where he cautioned residents on how to prepare for […]

After Florida state lawmakers demanded an investigation into the Hope Florida Foundation, a Florida House committee convened to investigate any alleged fiduciary ties between the foundation and any political committee. The legislative investigation led by Rep. Alex Andrade (R) ended,  and now Leon County State Attorney Jack Campbell is allegedly looking into the documents Rep. […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis says he trusts the Board of Governors to make the right call on the University of Florida’s embattled presidential pick, but amid mounting criticism from Trump world, he won't say what that choice should be. DeSantis's Thursday comments, where he weighed the different viewpoints on former University of Michigan president Santa Ono, […]

Florida families still can't recover certain damages if a doctor accidentally kills some of their loved ones, thanks to Gov. Ron DeSantis's plan to veto a new measure repealing the state's so-called "free kill" law. Dubbed "free kill" by critics, the controversial 35-year-old law disallows unmarried 25-year-olds or their parents from suing physicians for pain […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Tuesday that will expand early detection, intervention, and support for children in Florida with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. Sen. Gayle Harrell (R-Stuart) sponsored the bill (SB 112) in the Senate. Rep. Randy Maggard (R-Zephyrhills) carried the House version. The new law expands several measures related […]

When high schooler Lucy Stevenson’s godbrother used AI to create an explicit video of her—based solely on a photo she posted to Instagram at 16—the Pensacola teen’s family was stunned to learn he couldn’t be criminally charged. A new Florida law would change that. HB 757, approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday, makes it […]

The worst-kept secret in Florida is not that First Lady Casey DeSantis is considering a run for governor in 2026, but what about State Senator Blaise “Donuts” Ingoglia (R) being tapped as the next Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the state? For several months now, The Floridian has been told that Cannoli caucus member Senator […]

Florida animal abusers will be publicly tracked while those who abandon pets during emergencies will face prison time, according to two new laws signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday. Named after two dogs abused by their owners, HB 255 and SB 150 strengthen penalties and increase transparency for those who neglect, harm, or kill […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday approved a new law allowing Floridians to use gold and silver in certain transactions. The DeSantis-backed measure, HB 999, recognizes gold and silver coins as "legal tender" to pay down debts incurred after July 1, 2026. At an Apopka press conference on Tuesday, DeSantis claimed this law is the latest […]

TALLAHASSEE—Florida can use new death penalty methods in inmate executions. Gov. Ron DeSantis broke his personal record for most death warrants signed in a year. And the state Supreme Court upheld a lower court's decision to execute a man who brutally murdered his young nephews. Thursday and Friday of last week were rife with pro-death […]

TALLAHASSEE—A controversial new law overhauling how amendments are put on the ballot was challenged by three activist groups during an hours-long hearing Thursday, resulting in unusual comparisons to sausage and references to “killing babies.” The odd debate centered on HB 1205, a sweeping law backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.  The measure changes how sponsors of […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed a sweeping bill hardening schools against would-be attackers into law—the seventh anti-school shooter legislation passed in seven years. The massive bill, SB 1470, employs a wide range of new security protocols for schools, including expanding the state's Guardian Program to child care facilities. This means daycares can use sheriff-trained, […]