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
Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) sat down with The Floridian to discuss the concerns of farmers- specifically farmers from Florida – over the predatory practices of the Chinese government, including concerns about the theft of genetically modified seeds to improve crops and their refusal to buy seed-generated produce from Florida. For instance, in 2023, Newsweek published […]
The Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023, led by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and Representative Greg Steube (R-FL), has been signed into law by President Joe Biden. The new law, which was historically passed in the House of Representatives via discharge petition, will provide tax relief for certain federal disasters. A discharge petition is […]
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the preservation of Adams Farm (Walton and Holmes counties) and Triple S Ranch (Citrus County) through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. These two farms cover 1,687 acres and 806 acres, respectively. They were preserved through the rural lands protection […]
The yearly Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) passed almost unanimously 399-18 on Wednesday, and Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) can say he personally contributed "various key legislation wins," as he posted to X (formerly Twitter). "Water is the heartbeat of our SWFL community & our Great Sunshine State. It is critical that we improve, conserve, & […]
After Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) strongly endorsed former RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump to replace Senator Marco Rubio, three more Republican members of Congress from Florida have expressed their support for Mrs. Trump to replace the soon-to-be former senior senator from the state. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is tasked to appoint someone to fill Sen. Rubio's […]
WASHINGTON—Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), who continues to stand up for Florida farmers, spoke to The Floridian about his affinity for stopping Chinese garlic from flourishing in the United States. In the past, Senator Scott has criticized the product from Asia, describing it as "sewage garlic" and unhealthy for human consumption. In this exclusive interview, Sen. Scott […]
Senator Rick Scott’s (R-FL) bipartisan Disaster Contract Improvement Act has passed both chambers of Congress and is headed to President Joe Biden’s desk. The bill intends to refine the disaster contracting process at federal, state, and federal governments following natural disasters and when waste, fraud, and abuse need to be mitigated. It also looks to ensure […]
Many Americans remained in tents after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, yet federal dollars continued to be sent to other countries. Representative Greg Steube (R-FL) has introduced a bill defunding foreign aid during domestic natural disasters. Rep. Steube has named his bill the Securing Taxpayer Assistance during Natural Disasters (STAND) Act. This bill would withhold bilateral, […]
Though former Rep. Gaetz didn't formally endorse Patronis, his seeming support for the frontrunner in the race could boost his candidacy.
US Representative Brian Mast (R-FL) has been selected to lead the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. “I’m grateful and humbled by the trust my peers within the Republican Conference have placed in me by electing me the next chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Under my leadership, our committee will have a […]
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has been mostly quiet in the upper chamber since President-elect Donald Trump (R) tapped him as the next Secretary of State. However, Sen. Rubio's bill, the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary of National Significance Act of 2024, has passed the House of Representatives. It will be sent to President Joe Biden’s […]
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson has launched a $5 million grant program—the Water and Wastewater Treatment Facility Energy Efficiency Program—to support energy efficiency improvements in the Sunshine State. According to Commissioner Simpson's press office, the program will use the $5 million to improve publicly owned water and wastewater treatment facilities in Florida’s rural counties. […]
Former Florida Representative Carolina Amesty (R) has been cleared of all charges pending against her for alleged felony. Representative Amesty represented parts of Orange and Osceola counties and had been accused of using her family’s Central Christian University in Orlando to commit fraudulent financial transactions. The charges partly stemmed from the Orlando Sentinel newspaper’s own […]
Former Representative Matt Gaetz's (R-FL) seat for Congressional District 1 is wide open, and ten Republicans are vying to fill it in the upcoming special election. So far, Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis (R-FL) is in a strong position to take the title with several key endorsements, but anything can happen in three months. Patronis's frontrunner […]
On December 5, Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance participated in International Volunteer Day. The company provides its employees four days of paid time off “specifically designed to encourage the team members to serve their community in new ways.” This year, Heritage employees used their volunteer time to help the Tampa community and its local charitable organizations, […]
Early in October, Representative Kat Cammack (R-FL) spearheaded a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) demanding they assist farmers after Hurricane Helene. On Thursday, USDA announced they would follow through, which Representative Scott Franklin (R-FL) applauded in a recent statement, saying it "could be a game-changer." The original letter, led by Rep. Cammack […]
On December 6, 2019, a Saudi military trainee opened fire against American soldiers at the Pensacola Naval Air Station (NAS). The terrorist attack resulted in the death of three U.S. Navy sailors. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has passed a resolution ahead of the fifth anniversary of the incident. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Katie Britt (R-AL), […]
From Thursday morning to Friday at noon, the 16 congressional candidates vying for the North Florida seat abruptly vacated by Matt Gaetz have to qualify to run for the seat. So who's running, how close are they to qualifying, and will they make it to the Jan. 28 special election primary? First, in Gaetz's honor, […]
