Tampa Bay

A Florida Republican filed a new bill that would increase penalties for animal cruelty during a state of emergency, prompted by public outrage over a Florida man tying up and abandoning his dog as Hurricane Milton approached. Navarre Rep. Joel Rudman, who will leave office on New Year's Day to pursue a congressional seat, filed […]

On December 5, Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance participated in International Volunteer Day. The company provides its employees four days of paid time off “specifically designed to encourage the team members to serve their community in new ways.” This year, Heritage employees used their volunteer time to help the Tampa community and its local charitable organizations, […]

With the polls now closed, North and Central Florida have decided who will continue to serve in the House of Representatives in Congressional Districts 1 to 22, as called by NBC. All incumbents have won their respective races, frequently at double-digit margins, with the largest going to Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) of District 12, who […]

Hurricanes Helene and Milton left behind tons of debris throughout Florida, and FEMA's assistance in cleaning up has been slow. This prompted Representative Greg Steube (R-FL) to write a letter to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee demanding the expediting of his Clean Up DEBRIS Act. Rep. Steube introduced the bill last October in the […]

After major hurricanes Helene and Milton barreled into the Florida Gulf Coast less than two weeks apart, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday that the state will provide $9.5 million to jumpstart storm recovery. Over half of the investment, $5.5 million, will go to emergency berth repairs with $3.5 million to be used for "immediate security […]

TALLAHASSEE—Gov. Ron DeSantis blasted a new report alleging that Hurricane Milton may be the most expensive storm in Florida history, pointing out that Hurricane Ian was likely worse and begging them to "give me a break." According to Wall Street analysts, Milton's incurred damages could exceed $50 billion and leave behind devastation approaching $175 billion, […]

Hurricane Milton is in the process of making landfall as a Category 3 storm in Sarasota County, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday evening in Tallahassee. Milton's rapidly approaching landfall, coming in at maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, may be hours ahead of forecasts that had landfall between 11 p.m and early Thursday morning. "Stay […]

Ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall in or near the vulnerable Tampa Bay area, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the beastly storm has likely prompted the largest National Guard mobilization in Florida history. At an Ocala press conference less than two days before Milton—which on Monday became the most intense system in the Atlantic since 2007—Gov. […]

Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) have sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell requesting that affected local governments receive timely reimbursements from past hurricanes – including Helene and Debby. According to Sen. Rubio, some local governments are experiencing budget shortfalls, which could affect current and future […]

Ahead of another potential Florida hurricane, Gov. Ron DeSantis lauded a new emergency flood control device that he says helped save buildings during the disastrous Hurricane Helene. The Tiger Dam system, developed by the U.S. Flood Control Corp., was used by Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton and a Tampa police station, Gov. DeSantis said, and […]

Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) sent a letter to President Joe Biden (D) in support of the State of Florida’s major disaster declaration after Hurricane Helene – which needed approval from the Commander-In-Chief. The state received the necessary approval, and President Biden said the administration “will be with you every step of […]

Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) will compete with Whitney Fox (D) this November to retain control of her Congressional District 13 seat, one of the closest watched races in Florida.  Rep. Luna mocked Fox as a "radical" who "wants open borders" and "does not want people to have cars" in recent comments to The Floridian. […]

After former President Donald Trump (R) gave a vague answer on how he will vote on Florida’s Amendment 4 which certifies the right to an abortion and needs 60% support to pass, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy came about against the measure, describing it as “deceptive.” “Florida’s Amendment 4 […]

Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) announced that the University of South Florida (USF) will receive nearly $14 million in a federal grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to support Affordable Care Act (ACA) “health navigators.” These navigators attempt to advise and assist families find the right healthcare plan for them. According to […]

Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor (no relation) announced that the Palmetto Beach neighborhood would be receiving a sum of over $24 million for local infrastructure from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equality (RAISE) grant. This grant comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the $454 billion infrastructure […]

Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) – a senior member of the Health Subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives – and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) held a conversation with healthcare and biotech industry leaders in the Tampa Bay area to discuss the processes of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in hopes of facilitating “development of […]

Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) released a statement regarding the $95 billion defense package to aid American allies in Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and the Indo-Pacific. $60.8 billion will go to Ukraine as they continue their fight against Russia. The Florida congresswoman took a jab at “MAGA Republicans” for holding up the aid from reaching the aforementioned […]

TAMPA, FL—Florida may have its first transgender Lawmaker in Tampa Bay's House District 65, though conservatives don't believe she will be able to flip the long-held Republican seat blue. Democratic candidate Ashley Brundage, a small business owner and former DEI educator, is challenging Republican Representative Karen Gonzalez-Pittman in House District 65—an area that hasn't elected […]