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
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is calling on the Legislature to increase penalties for illegal gambling operations from a misdemeanor to a felony, saying the punishment wasn't sending the "right message" in stopping illegal acts in the state. "Right now, people can stand to make millions off of unlawful gambling operations and just end up […]
Rich Marianos, former U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Assistant Director, discussed a recent $200 million approval by Congress to the Food and Drug Administration in an effort to crack down on Chinese-made illicit cigarettes, and its impact on the Sunshine State, in an exclusive interview with The Floridian. The approval, made on […]
Representative Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) has reintroduced legislation to reduce homeowners' insurance premiums following natural disasters. Specifically, the Natural Disaster Risk Reinsurance Act creates a catastrophic reinsurance backstop, meaning a cap on how much insurers pay in disaster claims, thereby reducing premiums and avoiding "risk of ruin," or the likelihood of losing all investment capital. Additionally, […]
Alex Bruesewitz, a popular media advisor to President Donald Trump, scathed Azoria CEO James Fishback after he announced his run for Florida governor this week, calling him a multitude of personal names as he mounts a bid against Rep. Byron Donalds for the nomination. "James Fishback, the clown who just announced he’s running for Governor […]
The hardest part of being a foster mom isn’t the late nights or the paperwork—it’s realizing how close so many children came to real danger before someone stepped in. You start to understand the gap between what the system promises and what it actually delivers. I’ve helped kids piece their lives back together after adults […]
Gov. Ron DeSantis urged the Department of the Interior to roll back plans for offshore drilling on Florida's coast while speaking in Crystal River this week, saying the initiative would universally weaken protections under a 2020 executive order. The request follows a plan by the Trump administration to open offshore drilling beginning in 2029 and […]
Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) is introducing legislation that denies registered sex offenders access to children through surrogacy agreements. Specifically, the No Surrogacy for Sex Offenders Act denies registered offenders from using interstate or foreign commerce to enter into a surrogacy arrangement, which the bill intentionally defines broadly enough, with the intent to obtain parental […]
In response to rising threats of violence against Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers (ICE) and others across the country, Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) announced the introduction of the "Halo Act" in Congress this week. The proposal would specifically create a 25-foot buffer zone for immigration duties to perform their duties while on the job. It […]
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the coordination of a Retail Theft Investigative Special Task Force to combat growing concerns of the crime on state businesses while speaking in Jacksonville this week. Uthmeier, who has mandated a zero-tolerance policy on crime under his leadership, also took a jab at California and New York for allowing […]
A troubling pattern is emerging in the Miami mayoral race as the Democratic National Committee and the Florida Democratic Party aggressively insert themselves into a local election to boost Commissioner Eileen Higgins. Voters are now asking: Why are national political power brokers suddenly so invested in Miami’s mayoral race? The answers point to a long-running […]
Florida Congressman Darren Soto (D) released a statement slamming President Donald Trump’s plans to resume oil drilling off the coasts of Florida and California. “This is a TERRIBLE idea in Florida! It would trash our environment, and hurt tourism and fishing, two top industries here,” Soto expressed in a statement. “I’m sure he’d be thrilled […]
Gov. Ron DeSantis is pumping the brakes on the use of Artificial Intelligence, saying the growing technology could pose a threat to jobs across the country, including right here in the Sunshine State, while speaking at the Florida Rural Economic Summit in Ocala this week. "A lot of people are saying that, as AI advances, […]
Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) is introducing a bipartisan bill protecting seniors from rising Medicare costs. Specifically, the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act ensures that Medicare payments accurately reflect current healthcare costs, especially in rural, underserved, and low-income areas. In practice, this prevents doctors from limiting the number of Medicare patients they can see, […]
Nearly one in five young adults believes it is acceptable to use physical violence as a reason to stop someone from engaging in "harmful" public speech, according to a survey revealed this week by Florida State University's Institute for Governance and Civics (IGC). The startling findings, via a report presented in Americans' Troubling Views on […]
Crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone offloaded approximately 49,010 pounds of illicit narcotics worth more than $362 million at Port Everglades this week. The massive seizure, a result of 15 interdictions from the Eastern Pacific Ocean, also marks the largest capture of cocaine by a single cutter during one patrol in Coast Guard […]
In a news release, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) has been indicted on charges accusing her of stealing $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds as well as making illegal campaign contributions. The DOJ stated that Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother Edwin Cherfilus worked through Trinity Healthcare […]
Florida Senator Rick Scott (R) continues press for relocating generic drug production from foreign countries, such as India and China, to the U.S. during a hearing with the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. Scott, who is the chairman of the special committee, highlighted various U.S. companies that are successfully producing generic medications domestically, and […]
Representative Cory Mills (R-FL) is cosponsoring Representative Jen Kiggans' (R-VA) bill improving disabled veterans' Thrift Savings Plans (TSPs). A Thrift Savings Plan is effectively a retirement fund for veterans. However, once members leave the service and/or are rated as 100% disabled, they are not allowed to continue contributing funds to the system, even if it […]
