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
Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) has announced that Hillsborough County Public Schools are receiving a $7.9 million grant for 20 new electric buses awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The EPA has instituted its Clean School Bus Program which has granted almost $1 billion in funds toward environmentally cleaner forms […]
In the wake of an abrupt and devastating winter storm, Governor DeSantis (R-FL) declared a state of emergency in 49 Florida counties after the weather barreled through the middle of the state. What is being called, "The Winter Storm" put many parts of the country on high alert. Tornado warnings were in effect on Tuesday […]
Florida legislators could soon enact laws permitting individuals to freely and openly carry firearms thanks to Representative Mike Beltran’s (R-70) recently filed bill. Representative Beltran’s bill would also deregulate certain aspects of concealed carrying in Florida. First, Beltran’s proposal would make it completely legal for Floridians to openly carry any legal weapon or firearm while […]
State Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book (D-FL) has released her rebuttal to Governor Ron DeSantis’ State of the State Address. In a series of videos posted on social media, Minority Leader Book described Gov. DeSantis’ speech as a compilation of “carefully curated talking points” that fail to demonstrate a “darker reality.” She also jabbed at […]
Former Florida State Attorney Andrew Warren (D-FL) announced that he would not pursue reelection to the position in 2024. He was removed by Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in August of 2022. As reported by the Tampa Bay Times, Warren believes Gov. DeSantis would remove him once again should he win reelection. In […]
A bevy of bills have been floored by Florida Republican legislators to protect minors on the internet and social media. Senator Erin Grall (R-29) filed the latest proposals: two bills requiring age verification on social media platforms and creating regulations to shield minors from inappropriate online content. Senator Grall’s social media proposal would prohibit individuals […]
Tallahassee, Fl- Nearly 1.7 thousand laws have been proposed by the Florida legislature prior to the start of the 2024 legislative session. While committees have been convening in both the Senate and House of Representatives, the Florida legislative session is set to officially commence tomorrow, January 9th. Starting tomorrow, legislators will be able to reject […]
In this upcoming 2024 election cycle, former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (R-FL) is challenging US Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) for his Senate seat. However, Mucarsel-Powell does not just see this as an opportunity for herself, but for Democrats across Florida to take back their state. At a campaign event recently, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell stated, "Floridians, you […]
State Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book (D-FL) has announced that the legality of abortion will be on the ballot in the 2024 election. Nearly 900,000 signatures and a threshold of verified petitions from at least 14 different congressional districts in the Sunshine State for this to happen. Leader Book mentioned in a social media post […]
New legislation has been filed to increase accountability for juveniles in the criminal justice system. HB 1181 and SB 1274 propose harsher restrictions that ensure youth comply with the terms and conditions of court-ordered sanctions for gun offenses. Representative Berny Jacques (R)Â who filed the House bill highlighted that under Governor Ron DeSantis Florida was experiencing […]
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R-FL) has sent a public records request to the Atlantic Coast Conference (Florida State University plays in) as the school engages in a legal battle with the collegiate league. When FSU was left out of the College Football Playoff (CFP) last month, AG Moody sent a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) […]
Republicans in both chambers of the Florida Legislature introduced the Kamala Harris Truth in Slavery Teaching Act, bringing some controversy alongside it. State Senator Shevrin Jones (D-FL) provided a statement, calling the bill an “aimless, desperate trolling of Vice President Harris.” The legislation, introduced by State Senator Blaise Ingoglia (R-FL) and State Representative Kiyan Michael […]
As if the infamous "Florida man" headlines could not get any crazier, a Florida man has now been arrested for threatening to kill US Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and his children. Representative Swalwell is a prominent House Democrat who currently represents California in the House of Representatives. The congressman tried running for president in 2020, […]
Harvard President Claudine Gay as resigned from her position.  Her resignation comes just weeks after failing to share whether calling for the genocide of Jews would violate university standards. The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan resolution condemning their testimonies. The measure also called for the remaining university presidents to resign (UPenn’s Elizabeth Magill stepped down […]
State Senator Joe Gruters (R-FL) has introduced legislation labeled SB 1168 – relating to forms of identification. While one of the main focuses of the bill is to expand the acceptable forms of ID for voter registration to include “United States passport cards, identification cards issued by a federally recognized tribal nation or Indian tribe, […]
US Representative Cory Mills (R-Fl) expressed his commitment to either "shutdown the border or shutdown the government." Representative Mills' comments are representative of many Republican lawmakers' willingness to compel Democrats to compromise on immigration reform and tighter border enforcement. Mills outlined his legislative priority via X as passing "the 12 single-point Appropriation Bills with necessary […]
State Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book (D-FL) has made another announcement regarding the progress of abortion getting on the ballot in the state of Florida in 2024. On Dec. 22, she declared that the issue is “on track” for voters to decide on in November. Initially, the Florida state senator showcased the abortion coalition’s progress […]
President Joe Biden (D) and his challenger, former President Donald Trump (R) exchanged jabs with each other on New Year's Eve through their respective celebrations. President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden spent the New Year at St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. In an interview with Ryan Seacrest, the host of this year's Dick […]
