Ron DeSantis

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday pushed for one of his top aides to become the next Education Commissioner, replacing Manny Diaz, Jr. ahead of his new job as interim President of the University of West Florida. DeSantis recommended Anastasios "Stasi" Kamoutsas, one of his four deputy chief of staff officers, to be Florida's top education […]

In a historic first, the Florida Board of Governors on Tuesday blocked Dr. Santa Ono from becoming the University of Florida’s next president, caving to Trump world’s bitter criticism of his past support for diversity initiatives and allegations of antisemitism. Ono, who resigned his post as president of the University of Michigan just hours after […]

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," […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis blamed President Joe Biden's immigration policies and media "lies" after eight people—including a Holocaust survivor—were wounded by Molotov cocktails chucked by an antisemitic Egyptian in the U.S. illegally. DeSantis spoke at a Sarasota press conference Monday morning, where he condemned 45-year-old suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman for allegedly firebombing a Colorado demonstration calling […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Wednesday that will increase penalties on people who make false 911 calls, commonly referred to as "swatting." The governor signed the bill, HB 279, at a high school in Winter Haven. Rep. Bill Partington (R-Ormond Beach) sponsored the legislation in the House, while Sen. Blaise Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill) […]

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, […]

Florida State Senator Jay Collins (R) is considering a run for governor in the 2026 gubernatorial contest, a move that would pit him against Trump-endorsed Rep. Byron Donalds for the Republican nomination, and quite possibly First Lady Casey DeSantis. Sen. Collins, who supports President Trump and is also a staunch ally of Governor Ron DeSantis, […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis has just six days left to sign a controversial new bill allowing Florida to use more—or create new—execution methods for the state's worst offenders. If he doesn't, the bill will die on May 26, exactly one week after the legislature sent him HB 903. Sponsored by Republicans Rep. Berny Jacques and Sen. […]

As the Supreme Court edges closer to a Florida war over rifle restrictions—a fight that state Attorney General James Uthmeier has preemptively refused to fight—Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday defended the chief legal officer's move as "credible." At a Tampa press conference Tuesday morning, DeSantis also shut down a comparison between Uthmeier and two state […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a new law preventing Florida Fish and Wildlife officers from searching boaters without probable cause. Calling it the "boater freedom act," the governor approved the legislation at a Panama City press conference Monday morning. The DeSantis-backed legislation—proposed by the governor and carried by Republican lawmakers Rep. Griff Griffits and […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping bill on Thursday banning fluoridated water in Florida, condemning cities for imposing the "forced medication." The new law, SB 700, will take effect on July 1—banning all Florida counties from using the anti-tooth decay mineral in the public water supply. The bill signing comes amid a federal push to […]