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 Senator Tom Wright (R-8) has filed a bill that would protect patriotic organizations’ rights to use school property as part of their organizational purposes. Senator Wright’s legislation defines patriotic organizations as those with an educational purpose that promotes patriotism and civic involvement in accordance with federal law. If passed, the law would permit representatives […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—Florida is calling for an Article V Convention to circumvent Congress and amend the U.S. Constitution to provide term limits for Congressional members. 34 states would have to call for an Article V Convention, which has never happened before, in order to amend the Constitution. "For hundreds of years, for decades now, everyone has […]
Florida Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) seeks to support school choice programs across the nation by proposing the week of January 21 be designated as ‘National School Choice Week.’ ‘School choice’ is the name given to educational policies that generally permit for parents to decide which educational institutions will receive their tax dollars. Senator Scott joined […]
President Joe Biden has again come under fire for his administration’s Venezuela foreign policy strategy after the arrest of opposition leader Juan Freites. The arrest was published by ‘Vente Venezuela’, the political party opposing Dictator Maduro’s authoritarian regime. Freites was the director of campaigning for Vente Venezuela and was allegedly dragged into a black pick-up […]
Florida Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has submitted an amicus curiae brief in the case Donald J. Trump v. Norma Anderson, et al. The upcoming Supreme Court case is scheduled to be argued on February 8th. During oral argument, the court will be considering whether Colorado’s Supreme Court was correct in removing Trump from the Colorado […]
Democrats in Florida’s State Legislature have provided comments surrounding the 51st anniversary of the initial Roe v. Wade ruling. The 7-2 decision from the Supreme Court in January of 1973 gave women the legal protection to perform an abortion nationwide. State Senators of the minority party gave reflective statements on the last five decades but […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—As Lawmakers enter the third week of the Legislative Session, with it comes a slew of hard-hitting bills, sure to ignite debate in both chambers. This week's agenda covers sex reassignment insurance coverage, the banning of identity politics in teacher preparation courses, drunk driving, and much more. Licenses and Drunk Driving Monday will see […]
A new bill modifying current Florida law on private pre-kindergarten instruction and expanding state pre-kindergarten educational programs is steadily progressing through the legislature. Florida Senator Erin Grall’s (R-29) ‘Early Learning’ pre-kindergarten bill, filed last December was approved by the Education Pre-K-12 committee earlier this week. Senator Grall’s proposal would prohibit private pre-kindergarten educational services from […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL---A new bill defining and punishing child-grooming passed House committee Friday afternoon, branding offenders with a second-degree felony. If the bill becomes law, it would make Florida the first state to have a criminal definition of grooming. "The closest thing to the Devil in human form are the people that do this." The sponsor […]
Republican legislation to deregulate minor employment in Florida is swiftly progressing through the legislative process. A group of bills concerning minor employment would include measures such as lowering minimum age requirements to work and removing employment curfews and hourly limits. The Florida Senate’s Education Pre-K-12 Committee recently approved SB460, a proposal to permit minors 16 […]
Concerns about the weaponization of government by the Biden Administration have reentered the spotlight as recent evidence suggested Florida was disproportionately subject to Medicaid audits starting in 2023 when Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) began his Presidential campaign for 2024. According to National Review, the nonprofit watchdog Government Accountability & Oversight obtained over 3,000 pages of emails […]
State Senator Shevrin Jones (D-FL) offered congratulatory remarks to State Representative-elect Tom Keen (D-FL) for his victory over Erika Booth (R) in the District 35 special election on Tuesday. State Rep.-elect Keen flipped the seat from red to blue after former State Representative Fred Hawkins (R-FL) stepped down in order to become the president of […]
The Florida Senate’s Education Postsecondary Committee has filed and approved a bill that would create an alternative pathway for students to obtain a High School diploma. The Graduation Alternative to Traditional Education (GATE) Program would enable students to earn postsecondary course credits through career and technical education (CTE) courses. Education Postsecondary committee chair Senator Erin […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL --- In a push toward increased protection of children, the Florida House voted on a new bill banning social media usage for children under 16. Social media platforms in violation of the bill would face a $50,000 fine per penalty, and up to $10,000 in civil damages to be paid to the minor […]
State Senator Lori Berman (D-FL) and State Representative Adam Anderson (R-FL) introduced SB 1172 and HB 961 respectively to expand the legal definition of impairment as it relates to DUI (driving under the influence) charges. The bill is formally known as Operating Vehicles and Vessels Under the Influence. It was introduced on Jan. 9. The […]
A new bill filed by Senator Rick Scott (R-Fl) would prohibit the entry of Chinese garlic into the US. The bill follows Senator Scott’s tirade against Chinese garlic, which began last December. Scott wrote a letter warning the President and CEO of the National Growers Association Greg Ferrara of the unsanitary and immoral practices surrounding […]
Florida State Senator Nick DiCeglie’s (R-18) proposal to regulate Artificial Intelligence (AI) use in political advertisements was recently critically assessed by Democrats in committee hearings. Senator DiCeglie’s bill would require any political content produced with the assistance of ‘generative AI’ to include a disclaimer notating the technology’s use during content production. Generative AI is software […]
Florida Senator Alexis Calatayud’s (R-38) recently introduced affordable housing bill is moving swiftly through Florida’s legislative labyrinth. Senator Calatayud’s bill reforms certain aspects of Florida’s building code while also providing an additional $100 million in funding for Florida’s affordable housing ‘Hometown Hero Program’. The ‘Hometown Hero Program’, originally established in 2023, aims to assist first-time, […]
