State & Local
Along with up-to-date political coverage, The Floridian takes the opportunity to post about issues, legislation, and lawmakers in local municipalities and at the state level
TALLAHASSEE, FL—Keiser University kicked off its "Keiser Days at the Capitol" with a Wednesday morning press conference. Joined by Republican Rep. Randy Fine, the college's leaders discussed higher education, nursing shortages, and athletic success. "My message is simply that we live in a great state," Belinda Keiser, the Vice Chancellor of the University, said, "If […]
Florida lawmakers in the state legislature are currently mulling over HB 151 – Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) of Retirement Benefits – which would increase the pensions of approximately one million state employees with a 3% increase due to “cost-of-living.” According to the Tallahassee Democrat, the COLA measure was eliminated during the Great Recession to cut spending […]
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Monday morning that he is working with the Florida Legislature to certify four Constitutional amendments under Article V, including term limits for members of Congress. A press release from the Governor's office reads, “Today, Governor Ron DeSantis called for constitutional reforms to hold the U.S. Congress accountable and, in doing […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—Artificial Intelligence use in political advertisements faces new regulations with a Florida bill requiring disclaimers of AI use in ads. Violators would be subject to civil penalties imposed by the Federal Elections Commission or an administrative law judge. "The increasing access of sophisticated AI generated content threatens the integrity of elections by facilitating the […]
State Senator Lori Berman (D-FL) has filed SB 932, known as Coverage for Diagnostic and Supplemental Breast Examinations. The legislation would have the state government foot the bill for out-of-pocket diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging when medically necessary. The exams included in this bill include MRIs, ultrasounds, and diagnostic mammograms, which “can be costly and […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—Florida's State Board of Education announced last week their imposition of "strict regulations" on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives on college campuses, leading the James Madison Institute, a libertarian non-profit think tank, to laud the state's efforts. The board's ruling will prohibit taxpayer funds going toward DEI programs and replaces the "Principles of Sociology" […]
A bill progressing through the Florida legislature could support housing initiatives for Floridian agricultural workers by providing legal protections and deregulation. SB 1082, filed by Senator Jay Collins (R-14), would legally protect agricultural housing construction initiatives across the entire state. If Senator Collins’ bill passes, intrastate governmental entities would be prohibited from adopting or enforcing […]
The Second Amendment has always been a contentious topic in national politics. Now, governors across the nation are banding together to support Texas in their fight to preserve the right to self-defense. 25 Republican governors have released the following joint statement, including Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL), to support Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) as the Biden […]
Molina Healthcare of Florida and BeMe Health have joined forces to address adolescent mental health and well-being. In order to do so, the companies have teamed up to support over 22,000 Molina Medicaid teenage members through BeMe’s behavioral health app. According to Molina, the app is designed to “connect teens with customized mental health and […]
Two bills moving through the Florida legislature could establish new regulations for artificial intelligence (AI) use, virtual currency kiosks, and bolster government technology modernization. HB 1459 and SB 662, filed by the Commerce and Banking and Insurance committees, respectively, would accomplish these tasks. Originally filed by Representative Fiona McFarland (R-73) and later refiled by the […]
Concerns of mosquito-borne illnesses are on the rise due to a rainier and wetter year approaching the state of Florida. However, a state legislator and a board member of the Florida Mosquito Control Association (FMCA) believe that the Sunshine State is up for the challenge. Despite South Florida witnessing its largest Dengue Fever outbreak in […]
After 2020, police regulations were heavily pushed in reaction to reported incidents of police brutality. Now, the Florida Legislature is attempting to do away with review boards that investigate local law enforcement. SB 576 proposes abolishing existing boards and barring counties and cities from creating panels to delve into complaints of police wrongdoing. The sponsor […]
Florida Senator Tom Wright (R-8) has filed a bill that would protect patriotic organizations’ rights to use school property as part of their organizational purposes. Senator Wright’s legislation defines patriotic organizations as those with an educational purpose that promotes patriotism and civic involvement in accordance with federal law. If passed, the law would permit representatives […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—Florida is calling for an Article V Convention to circumvent Congress and amend the U.S. Constitution to provide term limits for Congressional members. 34 states would have to call for an Article V Convention, which has never happened before, in order to amend the Constitution. "For hundreds of years, for decades now, everyone has […]
Florida Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) seeks to support school choice programs across the nation by proposing the week of January 21 be designated as ‘National School Choice Week.’ ‘School choice’ is the name given to educational policies that generally permit for parents to decide which educational institutions will receive their tax dollars. Senator Scott joined […]
President Joe Biden has again come under fire for his administration’s Venezuela foreign policy strategy after the arrest of opposition leader Juan Freites. The arrest was published by ‘Vente Venezuela’, the political party opposing Dictator Maduro’s authoritarian regime. Freites was the director of campaigning for Vente Venezuela and was allegedly dragged into a black pick-up […]
Florida Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has submitted an amicus curiae brief in the case Donald J. Trump v. Norma Anderson, et al. The upcoming Supreme Court case is scheduled to be argued on February 8th. During oral argument, the court will be considering whether Colorado’s Supreme Court was correct in removing Trump from the Colorado […]
Democrats in Florida’s State Legislature have provided comments surrounding the 51st anniversary of the initial Roe v. Wade ruling. The 7-2 decision from the Supreme Court in January of 1973 gave women the legal protection to perform an abortion nationwide. State Senators of the minority party gave reflective statements on the last five decades but […]
