Florida Legislature

TALLAHASSEE—A month after Florida Democrat Sen. Darryl Rouson celebrated his 27th year of sobriety, the upper chamber tried to create a new substance abuse center at the University of South Florida named after him. House Speaker Danny Perez says it’s emotional blackmail. Perez responded to the sweeping outrage from Gov. Ron DeSantis and Senate leaders […]

Sen. Jay Collins (R-Tampa) said former Democratic Senate Leader turned Independent Jason Pizzo is welcome to the Republican Party if he decides to make the full turn. "Yeah, absolutely I would. Jason is brilliant. Jason is hard-working. He knows what to say," Collins told The Floridian. "Frankly, I think on a lot of things he's […]

The Florida House of Representatives passed several bills on Tuesday for Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign, including expanding the state's current anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) law, and a new offense of animal neglect for abandoning a restrained dog outside during a natural disaster, and more. Entities that Boycott Israel (SB 1678/HB 1519) The bill […]

President Donald Trump strikes another blow against illegal immigration after signing an executive order mandating that U.S.-based commercial truck drivers speak and be fluent in English. NO MAS! NO MAS! “Every day, truckers perform the demanding and dangerous work of transporting the Nation’s goods to businesses, customers, and communities safely, reliably, and efficiently,” stated President […]

The Florida Senate passed a bill 37-0 on Tuesday that would set tougher sentencing point multipliers for animal abusers and require the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to post the names of convicted animal cruelty offenders on its website. The bill is now greenlit for Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign into law. Sen. Tom Leek […]

TALLAHASSEE—Republican Rep. Mike Redondo has the votes to be the Florida Speaker of the House in 2030, thanks to current Speaker Danny Perez allegedly helping him clear the field. "He has the votes to be Speaker," a top Republican, granted anonymity to speak freely, told The Floridian. Two other Republican politicos similarly confirmed that Redondo, […]

The Florida Senate passed a bill 36-0 on Monday that would set penalties for dangerous dogs and their owners after two people were killed in attacks in the state. The bill is cited as the “Pam Rock Act," named after a postal worker who was mauled to death by five dogs as she was delivering […]

TALLAHASSEE—In the latest dig at Gov. Ron DeSantis, House Speaker Danny Perez announced a special committee on Tuesday to plan how to cut property taxes. Perez's surprise announcement, delivered minutes before the Floor Session began, is the latest addition to the growing pile of dueling tax cut proposals suggested by DeSantis, the Senate, and the […]

President Donald Trump has directed his administration to aggressively pursue individuals with terrorist ties who entered the US through the southwest border during former President Joe Biden’s government.  Through an intergovernmental effort, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working in conjunction with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s (ODNI) National Counterterrorism Center […]

The Florida Senate passed a bill 33-3 on Monday that would allow certain correctional probation officers to carry concealed firearms during off-duty hours at the discretion of their superior officers. The bill would also waive the mandatory three-day waiting period for firearm purchases for law enforcement officers, correctional officers, correctional probation officers, and military service […]

Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman gave her first remarks after being elected to replace Sen. Jason Pizzo (I-Sunny Isles) at the start of today's session, saying in part that her party was "alive and kicking" after the latter said the Florida Democratic Party was "dead." "Today I rise with deep gratitude, a strong sense of […]

President Donald Trump’s cabinet members are increasing public pressure on China as trade negotiations over bilateral tariffs unfold. President Trump recently announced he was raising tariffs on imports from China to 125% “effective immediately.” Trump and many Republicans have argued that China engages in deceptive trade practices to unfairly attract trade to their shores, harming […]

The US recently struck a Houthi-controlled prison in the latest wave of airstrikes against the terrorist group in Yemen.  According to Houthi media, the strikes killed dozens of individuals living or working at the detention center in Saada, Yemen.  The Houthis claim the US attacks killed a number of civilians, including African refugees, but this […]

The Florida Senate unanimously passed a bill 37-0 on Thursday that would require traditional and charter public schools to be ready and able to administer EpiPens to students going through an allergic reaction before, after, and during school hours. Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando) filed the bill (SB 1514). He gave the following statement on […]

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently signed a memorandum enacting internal reforms across the Department of Defense (DOD) relating to how the military handles equal opportunity complaints.  The memorandum, which Secretary Hegseth nicknamed the “No More Walking On Eggshells” policy, seeks to counteract specious Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaints.   According to Hegseth, unsupported EEO complaints […]

The Florida Senate passed a bill 37-0 on Thursday that would create excessive speeding penalties for state drivers going 50 mph or more, 100 mph or more while passing or switching lanes, or exceeding the limit by 35 mph or more on non-limited access roads. Sen. Jason Pizzo (I-Sunny Isles) sponsored the bill (SB 1782). […]

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to boost the US’ offshore mining capabilities.  The order seeks to unleash the US’s competitiveness in the burgeoning offshore mining industry, which China currently leads.  Offshore or ‘deep-sea’ mining is the extraction of critical minerals from the ocean floor.  Critical minerals are used to produce myriad technological […]

TALLAHASSEE—The Florida Senate Democratic leader quit the party. The House Speaker blasted the Senate president. An ex-Republican may run for governor as a Democrat. The attorney general accused a fellow GOP lawmaker of defamation. And the Session won't end. At least, not on time. Thursday, April 24, 2025, marked a day of dysfunction not seen […]