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
The Florida Senate passed a bill to provide consumer protections and safeguards for vulnerable adults and minors against the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in the upper chamber this week. The bill, known as the "Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights," passed 35-2 in the upper chamber, with only Sens. Erin Grall (R-Fort Pierce) and Don Gaetz […]
Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Darren Soto (D-FL) have introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation combating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in online impersonation scams. The AI Fraud Accountability Act addresses a growing concern: AI can create highly realistic deepfakes of people and their voices, which can easily be used to perpetrate scams and other forms […]
Representative Kat Cammack (R-FL) is joining Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins for the public signing of a disaster declaration for Florida counties affected by the recent historic winter freeze, providing relief for farmers and producers. In February, Rep. Cammack and Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL) led the whole of Florida's Congressional delegation in demanding the disaster […]
State Rep. Juan Porras (R-FL), who is a Miami-Dade GOP State Committeeman, has issued a statement regarding a chat linked to Miami GOP Secretary Abel Alexander Carvajal, calling for his resignation. A leaked group chat tied to the Miami-Dade GOP secretary showed participants sharing racist and antisemitic comments, and it quickly drew condemnation from both […]
A new poll by the Public Opinion Research Lab at the University of North Florida (UNF) shows Congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds (R-FL) with six and 7-point leads over Democratic opponents David Jolly and Jerry Demings, respectively, in the governor's race. The poll found Rep. Donalds at 42% support, while Jolly received 36%, […]
Florida Congressman Scott Franklin (R) released a statement mourning the death and honoring Winter Haven-born U.S. Army Captain Cody A. Khork, who was killed alongside 5 other servicemen after Iranian drones struck a U.S. Army base in Kuwait, in the opening days of "Operation Epic Fury." “Our entire community joins the Khork family in mourning […]
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the distribution of over $13 million through Florida's Job Growth Grant Fund to several Panhandle communities for infrastructure improvements while speaking in Pensacola today. The grants include $5 million for the Panama City-Bay County Airport and Industrial District for a new aircraft engine repair station and engine testing facility at Northwest […]
The City of Hialeah announced this week that it has removed a portion of its property taxes affecting thousands of city seniors without impacting essential services, a move it says is a first in Florida. "For years, seniors were told it couldn't be done. They were told the only solution was to go to Tallahassee, […]
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) has announced the arrests of 89 individuals in a multi-week human trafficking operation resulting in more than 1,200 felony charges. According to HCSO, HCSO’s Human Trafficking Section and Internet Predator Unit underwent operations targeting individuals for allegedly sexually exploiting children and purchasing sex between Jan. 1, 2026, and Feb. […]
Republicans continue to dominate in the state of Florida, adding another 11,150 registrations in February to Democrats' 229, according to a post shared on social media by Michael Pruser of Decision Desk HQ. "Other" jumped 8,373. Florida Voter Registration Update - March 2026 pic.twitter.com/69ytquL2eH — Michael Pruser (@MichaelPruser) March 2, 2026 According to the post, […]
Former Florida Senate President Pro Tempore Dennis Baxley has endorsed gubernatorial candidate Paul Renner (R) for Florida governor, according to a post by The Renner War Room account on social media. "From leading in both chambers of the Florida Legislature to championing Stand Your Ground, Dennis Baxley has never wavered in defending our freedoms," Renner […]
Florida Congresswoman Kat Cammack (R) announced that farmers all across Florida, especially those in Florida’s 3rd Congressional District, can now apply for more than $600 million in disaster assistance through the Florida Block Grant Disaster Relief Program. The program aims to provide critical relief to agricultural producers impacted by the 2023 and 2024 hurricane seasons. […]
During a Titusville press conference, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced 525 illegal machines and $190,000 in illicit proceeds have been seized as a result of a sting operation targeting illegal gaming across several Florida counties. “Unlawful gambling operations often play a role as the financial backing behind criminal networks,” Uthmeier said in a release. […]
Representative Aaron Bean (R-FL) is urging President Donald Trump to ensure that the United States Coast Guard (USCG), which is under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), continues to receive their salaries as the Department shut down ensues. Earlier in February, talks between the White House and Democratic members of Congress reached […]
Tallahassee—The Republican-led Florida Legislature appears to be siding with far-left Progressive Democrats like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Senator Bernie Sanders, and not President Donald Trump, by embracing restrictive data center legislation. President Trump recently stated that he was "all in" on data centers and even issued an executive order last summer to […]
The Florida House of Representatives passed a pair of bills honoring conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in the lower chamber this week. Kirk was assassinated while speaking at a campus event sponsored by Turning Point at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025. Charlie Kirk Day of Remembrance (HB 125) The […]
Florida Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart (R), Carlos Giménez (R), and María Elvira Salazar (R), joined by Florida Senator Ashley Moody (R), commemorate and honor the victims of the 1996 shootdown of two “Brothers to the Rescue” aircraft by Cuban officials during an event this week. The Representatives, joined by family members of the victims who perished […]
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest of a Palm Beach man for organized retail theft of numerous Target stores from Orlando to Miami in a release this week. Keith Wallis, 39, was charged with two counts of felony organized retail theft, three counts of felony dealing in stolen property, and one count of […]
