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
In a video posted on social media, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood announced his endorsement of Lt. Gov. Jay Collins for Florida governor by praising his military service. In his endorsement, Chitwood praised Lt. Gov. Collins' service as a Green Beret, which included tours in Afghanistan and Iraq following the Sept. 11 attacks. Collins served […]
The Florida Legislature passed a bill on Thursday requiring state residents to prove their U.S. citizenship to register to vote or bring photo ID to voting centers. The bill is similar to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which has reached a buffer among federal lawmakers. Senate Bill 1334 (SB 1334) requires election officials […]
The Florida Senate unanimously passed a bill to allow K-12 head coaches to use up to $15,000 personal funds to support their players with food and travel services, as well as physical therapy and rehabilitation needs to get through the season in the upper chamber this week. Known as the Teddy Bridgewater Act, the vote […]
New revelations surrounding the City of Miami’s actions against the historic Little Havana venue Ball & Chain, first reported by The Miami Herald, are raising renewed questions about the role of senior city officials and the potential financial consequences for Miami taxpayers. According to the reporting, the legal battle tied to the city’s enforcement actions against Ball & […]
Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Florida International University (FIU), and the University of Miami all received "A" grades from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for their efforts to combat antisemitism. Notably, FIU's grade was before an anti-Semitic and racist group chat, which included FIU's Turning Point chapter president, was exposed by The Floridian earlier this month. The […]
Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a statue of Alexander Hamilton in White Springs near the Suwannee River as part of America’s upcoming 250th birthday during a press conference in Hamilton County this week. Hamilton was a founding father and the first Secretary of the Treasury under President George Washington from 1789 to 1795. Hamilton also founded […]
Boca Raton mayoral candidates Andy Thomson and Mike Liebelson are in the midst of a recount to become the city's next mayor, with Thomson holding a razor-thin 5-vote edge over Liebelson as of Tuesday night. Here are the results as of 10 pm: Thomson: 7,560 votes (39.64%) Liebelson: 7,555 votes (39.61%) Fran Nachlas: 3,957 (20.75%) […]
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Blaise Ingoglia has announced that the state is returning a record $88 million in unclaimed property to the pockets of Florida residents from February. Through the Florida Department of Financial Services, unclaimed property occurs when a financial asset becomes "abandoned, unknown, lost, or left inactive after a business, bank, or other […]
Newly retired South Florida news anchor Elliot Rodriguez announced the launch of his campaign for Congress in Florida’s 27th district today. The district includes portions of Miami Beach, Coral Gables, and Pinecrest. “I didn’t plan to run for Congress,” Rodriguez shared during his announcement. “But I cannot stay silent.” Rodriguez’s campaign launch emphasized affordability and democracy, […]
During a press conference in Naples, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Blaise Ingoglia announced $1.6 million in awards to strengthen several Florida fire departments, including funding for vital equipment to protect firefighters from harmful chemicals and enhancements to their response capabilities. Ingoglia, as CFO, is also the State's Fire Marshal. "Over the years, the profession of […]
WASHINGTON—Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL), who is running for governor of Florida, has sharply condemned racist and antisemitic comments in a private GOP group chat The Floridian reported on, saying they have no place in the Republican Party. In response to The Floridian's request for comment, Rep. Donalds told Publisher Javier Manjarres that "the comments reported […]
Retired U.S. Coast Guard Commander Shay Williams has launched his congressional bid for U.S. House District 14, arguing that “career politicians” like incumbent Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) should be voted out. Rep. Castor was first elected to U.S. House District 11 in 2007. She served the district until 2013, when the 2010 census gave Florida […]
In an exclusive interview with The Floridian, Florida Senator Rick Scott (R) defended Israel as a key ally against Iran amidst the rise of antisemitic rhetoric in the U.S. As antisemitic rhetoric continues to rise in the country, the Florida senator denounced attacks against Jewish communities in Florida, saying that it is “frustrating that some […]
Americans for Prosperity Action announced its endorsement of Congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds (R-FL) for governor by praising his commitment to economic freedom and small government. "I'm excited to say that today we are going to be announcing our endorsement of Congressman Byron Donalds for Florida's next governor," said Skyler Zander, senior advisor […]
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 […]
