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
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently concluded a historic visit to Panama centered on deepening the US and Panama’s relationship and commitment to preserving US interests in the Panama canal. The visit featured commitments from the Panamanian government to reduce Chinese influence over Panama, expand military cooperation with the US, and cease charging US military […]
President Donald Trump recently announced he was raising tariffs on imports from China to 125% “effective immediately.” The announcement comes as a diplomatic and economic row between the world’s two largest economies deepens. Trump and many Republicans have argued China engages in deceptive trade practices to unfairly attract trade to their shores, harming the US […]
Melanie Krause, the acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is reportedly preparing to resign her job following disagreements with a new interagency deal with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE and the IRS recently struck a deal where the latter will share illegal immigrant tax information to aid in the former’s prosecution of […]
Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried recently expressed confidence that Florida could again become a battleground state after small victories in two special elections last week. "It is a realistic goal, and I think we showed proof of concept this past week that within four months, we were able to go into areas like Escambia […]
President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order designed to bolster the coal industry. Conservatives had long claimed burdensome permit requirements, regulations, and undue fiscal pressure were unjustly hindering the coal industry. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin commended the executive order, claiming it will “unleash American energy.” “Under President Trump, we will unleash energy […]
Representatives Kathy Castor (D-FL), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Darren Soto (D-FL), and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) joined together in a bipartisan bill to permanently ban offshore drilling from Florida's coasts. The aptly named Florida Coastal Protection Act prevents the development of offshore oil and natural gas production in Florida waters, an issue on which both Democrats and […]
Trade negotiations between the US and China are teetering as President Donald Trump recently threatened China with expanding tariffs lest the latter rescind its plans to increase their own tariffs on US goods. President Trump levied a baseline 10% tariff on all imports entering the US with additional tariffs for countries that the White House […]
The Congressional Voting Rights Caucus Co-Chairs recently led nearly 60 House members in sending a letter to President Donald Trump (R) for his "unconstitutional" executive order relating to American elections. The lawmakers in the House contend that Trump's Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections executive order includes "illegal overreach" and denies equal access to people […]
Both Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) have called upon their Floridian counterparts, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) to engage in a friendly bet as the Houston Cougars and the Florida Gators play in the NCAA Men's basketball national championship tonight. Gov. Abbott and Sen. Cruz were the […]
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced charges to eight individuals connected to an international child pornography ring after authorities uncovered advertisements on social media selling large amounts of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the investigation revealed a group led by Mehmet Berk Bozuyuk, a resident of Turkey, allegedly […]
Florida college and university leaders discussed Monday how the House of Representatives' recent budget proposal to trim $4 billion would affect higher education for state students, particularly those who use Effective Access to Student Education (EASE) grants, which some rely on to pursue degrees in the healthcare industry. Members of the discussion were from the […]
Countries are rapidly responding to President Donald Trump’s recently imposed tariffs, with some pledging to retaliate and others seeking to plead with the US and reach reciprocal agreements to lower tariffs. President Trump levied a baseline 10% tariff on all imports entering the US with additional tariffs for countries that the White House assesses are […]
House Passes Bill Mandates Schools to Update Material to Reflect 'Gulf of America' The Florida House of Representatives passed a bill 78-29 on Thursday that would mandate state agencies, school boards, and charter schools to update geographic and instructional materials from the “Gulf of Mexico” to the "Gulf of America." . READ MORE Rick Scott-You […]
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a significant move toward reforming Florida’s auto insurance system, the House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee advanced HB 1181 by a 17-1 vote on Thursday. Sponsored by Representative Danny Alvarez and Representative Meg Weinberger, the bill seeks to repeal the state’s decades-old Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance requirement and replace it with […]
Senators Rick Scott (R-FL) and Ashley Moody (R-FL) have introduced the Senate version of the Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act, which aims to update regulations and support Florida citrus growers by creating friendlier standards. The entire Florida delegation has co-sponsored the House version of the bill. With Sens. Scott and Moody on board, that […]
The US Treasury Department recently announced a series of sanctions aimed at deterring illicit Houthi purchases of Russian goods such as weapons and stolen Ukrainian grain. Sanctions target a group of Russia-affiliated individuals and entities allegedly cooperating with Sa’id al-Jamal, a top Houthi financial official which the Treasury Department claims is backed by Iran’s Islamic […]
Representative Darren Soto (D-FL) is introducing legislation to designate the Kissimmee River as a recreational river, enhancing its protection as a natural resource. Specifically, Rep. Soto's Kissimmee River Wild and Scenic River Act designates the waterway as a recreational river under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. The 1968 legislation currently designates 220 […]
Gubernatorial candidate and Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) has received the endorsement of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). Both Rep. Donalds and Speaker Johnson were a part of the 2017 Congressional freshman class. They also both ran for the open House Speakership once Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted from the position. The Republican Conference eventually chose […]
