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 US State Department is warning countries against cooperating with the Houthis amidst reports of illicit transactions between the Houthis and third parties. In a recent statement by State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, the State Department alluded to potential consequences for any countries cooperating with the Houthis by claiming such actions “risk violating US law.” […]
Representative Neal Dunn (R-FL) has introduced the FEMA Loan Interest Payment Relief Act, a bill that would "provide financial assistance to local governments and electric cooperatives by reimbursing interest payments on loans used for disaster recovery activities." The legislation would make the federal government financially responsible for the interest accumulated on disaster recovery loans. Rep. […]
MIAMI, FL — April 10, 2025 — Declaring that “politics-as-usual is failing this city,” retired U.S. Army Colonel (Ret.) Emilio T. González made his candidacy for Mayor of Miami official Wednesday, entering a crowded field with a clear message: Government must work for the people again. González launched his campaign with sharp criticism of the […]
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently announced that the Sunshine State broke another tourism record with a 15.5% share of the domestic vacation market in 2024, a 1% increase from last year's mark. “Florida is the world’s favorite place to visit,” DeSantis said in a press release. “This record tourism is a result of policies that […]
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 […]
