Florida Legislature

TALLAHASSEE—The Florida Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill cracking down on hemp, months after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed last year’s version and days after a Florida woman blamed delta-8 gummies for her son's death. The bill, which bans delta-8 in hemp products and imposes new restrictions on THC-infused drinks, passed the Senate Floor unanimously. […]

The Florida Senate unanimously passed a bill 37-0 Wednesday that would divert criminally appropriate defendants suffering from mental illnesses into treatment programs instead of incarceration. Sen. Jennifer Bradey (R-Fleming Island) championed SB 168, also known as the Tristan Murphy Act. Rep. Nan Cobb (R-Eustis) is sponsoring the House version of the bill (HB 1207), which […]

TALLAHASSEE—Archibald, a four-year-old African penguin from the Florida Aquarium, visited the state capitol on Wednesday, appearing unperturbed by recent tariffs waged against his Australian brethren. Archi was the youngest of four penguins brought by the Tampa-based Florida Aquarium to Tallahassee. He, along with Nuri, Enzi, and Dasson—the oldest traveler at 16 years old—visited the Senate […]

The House State Affairs Committee advanced a joint resolution 16-6 Tuesday to the chamber floor that would amend the Florida Constitution to institute eight-year term limits for county commissioners and school district board members. Rep. Michelle Salzman (R-Escambia County) explained a strike-all to her joint resolution (HJR 679) to the committee. The strike-all, which passed, […]

Melanie Krause, the acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is reportedly preparing to resign her job following disagreements with a new interagency deal with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  ICE and the IRS recently struck a deal where the latter will share illegal immigrant tax information to aid in the former’s prosecution of […]

The House Education and Employment Committee favored a bill Tuesday that would require public schools and charter schools to train its employees to identify potential students victimized by human trafficking and take necessary action. Rep. Erika Booth (R-St. Cloud) explained her bill (HB 1237) to the committee. The legislation is also co-sponsored by Rep. Tobin […]

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order designed to bolster the coal industry. Conservatives had long claimed burdensome permit requirements, regulations, and undue fiscal pressure were unjustly hindering the coal industry.  Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin commended the executive order, claiming it will “unleash American energy.” “Under President Trump, we will unleash energy […]

TALLAHASSEE—The Florida Senate this week advanced a sweeping change in how petitions to put constitutional amendments on the ballot are handled, prompted by a vicious battle between the state and pro-abortion advocates during the 2024 election. The 50-page measure, which differs from the version approved on the House Floor last week, hopes to revamp how […]

Trade negotiations between the US and China are teetering as President Donald Trump recently threatened China with expanding tariffs lest the latter rescind its plans to increase their own tariffs on US goods. President Trump levied a baseline 10% tariff on all imports entering the US with additional tariffs for countries that the White House […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis launched his newest volley of attacks against the Republican-led Florida House on Monday, blasting the lower chamber for blocking his priorities and allegedly cozying up to liberal trial lawyers. His comments at a Panama City Beach press conference are the latest stab in the hot-and-cold feud between DeSantis and House Speaker Danny […]

Countries are rapidly responding to President Donald Trump’s recently imposed tariffs, with some pledging to retaliate and others seeking to plead with the US and reach reciprocal agreements to lower tariffs.  President Trump levied a baseline 10% tariff on all imports entering the US with additional tariffs for countries that the White House assesses are […]

The Florida House of Representatives passed a bill 78-29 on Thursday that would mandate state agencies, school boards, and charter schools to update geographic and instructional materials from the “Gulf of Mexico” to the "Gulf of America." Rep. Juan Porras (R-Miami) sponsored the bill (HB 549). Rep. Porras explained his bill on the chamber floor. […]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a significant move toward reforming Florida’s auto insurance system, the House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee advanced HB 1181 by a 17-1 vote on Thursday. Sponsored by Representative Danny Alvarez and Representative Meg Weinberger, the bill seeks to repeal the state’s decades-old Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance requirement and replace it with […]

The US Treasury Department recently announced a series of sanctions aimed at deterring illicit Houthi purchases of Russian goods such as weapons and stolen Ukrainian grain. Sanctions target a group of Russia-affiliated individuals and entities allegedly cooperating with Sa’id al-Jamal, a top Houthi financial official which the Treasury Department claims is backed by Iran’s Islamic […]

Gubernatorial candidate and Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) has received the endorsement of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). Both Rep. Donalds and Speaker Johnson were a part of the 2017 Congressional freshman class. They also both ran for the open House Speakership once Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted from the position. The Republican Conference eventually chose […]

The Senate Committee on Approprations recently advanced a bill 18-0 to the chamber floor that would create alternative pathways for prosecuting defendants with mental illnesses. Sen. Jennifer Bradey (R-Fleming Island) championed SB 168, also known as the Tristan Murphy Act. Rep. Nan Cobb (R-Eustis) is sponsoring the House version of the bill (HB 1207). Tristan […]

The Senate Committee on Appropriations recently advanced a bill 18-0 to the chamber floor that would expand Florida's anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) law to include academic institutions and non-profit organizations participating in boycotts against Israel. Sen. Tom Leek (R-Ormond Beach) filed the Senate bill (SB 1678). Rep. Hillary Cassel (R-Dania Beach) filed a House […]

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reportedly encountered record-low numbers of illegal immigrants and unaccompanied minors at the southwest border.  Illegal immigrant and unaccompanied minor encounters at the southwest border reached record highs during former President Joe Biden’s administration. Now, DHS is reporting a roughly 95% and 92% decrease in overall illegal immigrant and […]