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 KEYS—The Sunshine State's endangered smalltooth sawfish are dying at an unprecedented rate, and scientists have absolutely no idea why. In late January, reports from the Florida Keys began rolling in: sawfish are spinning in circles and turning up dead. Scientists logged the erratic behavior in 109 sawfish and discovered 28 dead—all within two months. […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—A controversial, Republican-led vacation rentals bill targeting party houses and preempting local governments is facing conservative backlash, with one Republican demanding this legislation never be "brought up for consideration again." Under SB 280, cities are allowed to have registration programs conforming to state rules, but all city ordinances enacted after 2011 are eradicated. Unless […]
Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony and made a major announcement at Hillsborough County’s Church Park Head Start Center, an early childhood education organization. The announcement includes over $20 billion for early childhood education and childcare programs stemming from the $1.2 government funding bill. Rep. Castor spoke on the importance of early education […]
US Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) is running for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives again this year and has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump (R) in his District 12 race. Congressman Bilirakis has enjoyed quite a decorated career in Congress. Recently, he earned an A+ legislative rating from a pro-life group, and […]
Venezuelan opposition party Democratic Unitary Platform (DUP) announced Tuesday they were unable to register their preferred candidate for Venezuela’s upcoming presidential elections. The announcement arrived after months of failed negotiations between President Joe Biden’s administration, Venezuelan regime leader Nicolas Maduro, and DUP officials.  President Biden had spearheaded an effort to convince Maduro’s regime to permit […]
TALLAHASSEE, FL—A human trafficker who forced two New York women into sex work has just received a 15-year prison sentence, thanks to Attorney General Ashley Moody’s prosecution team. Alan Dixon, working with accomplice Shantell Woods, brought two New York women to Florida to enlist them in prostitution under threats of physical harm. “This human trafficker […]
US Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) has filed a bill to rename the Federal Post Office located in Key West, Florida, as the "Jimmy Buffett Post Office Building." The bill comes after Buffett passed away last September. Representative Gimenez announced the initiative via X, claiming renaming the post office would memorialize a “Florida Keys legend.” ?NEWS […]
PALM BEACH, FL—The Florida Democratic Party is under fire from some African American members accusing its Central Committee of racism for ousting two embattled black county chairs but choosing to keep a third white one in office. The three chairs from Miami-Dade, Franklin, and Palm Beach counties were suspended on March 4th by Party Chair […]
State Representative Tom Leek (R-Ormond Beach) is running for Florida State Senate District 7 as State Senator Travis Hutson (R-FL-7) has been term-limited. Since announcing his candidacy for the State Senate, Rep. Leek has received the endorsement of all four sheriffs in Senate District 7 including the counties of Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia. […]
US Representative Maria Elvira-Salazar (R-FL) called for President Joe Biden to order US forces directly intervene in the ongoing security crisis in Haiti. Haiti has been rocked by widespread gang violence in recent years, but gang-violence has reached unprecedented levels in the last months. Representative Salazar criticized President Biden for allegedly allowing the “humanitarian and […]
A new proposal to the state Public Service Commission would reduce Florida Power & Light customer bills because of lower-than-expected fuel costs. Florida Power & Light (FPL) filed the proposal that they claimed would save consumers roughly $662 million. FPL argues that if passed, savings would be reflected in customer bills as early as May […]
ORMOND BEACH, FL—All four local sheriffs representing Florida's Senate District 7 have endorsed Republican Rep. Tom Leek for the newly vacant Senate seat in the Republican Primary. Republican Sen. Travis Hutson held the seat for eight years and already endorsed Leek in his current bid against pro-athlete Gerry James for the Republican nomination. “I am […]
Gigapower – the joint venture between AT&T and BlackRock – has announced that it is expanding its “state-of-the-art” fiber network to Okaloosa County, Crestview, and Fort Walton Beach, Florida. AT&T announced a similar expansion in August of 2022 as it moved into Mesa, Arizona. The company’s venture with BlackRock, the infrastructure giant that ushers in […]
US Representative Cory Mills’ (R-FL) Embassy Construction Integrity Act was recently approved by the House of Representatives. The legislation would prohibit the US from leasing or purchasing properties owned by Chinese firms when such property is to be subsequently used for consular or diplomatic purposes. Additionally, the act prevents the US from contracting Chinese companies […]
This week, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL)Â signed HB 1365, a bill aimed to address homelessness and to clean up Florida's streets. This legislation will mandate that homeless individuals receive the mental health and drug addiction services they need while residing in a designated location off our public streets, prioritizing public safety. "Florida will not allow homeless […]
The State of Florida has become one of the nation's fastest-growing states, but making sure everyone who moves in has a place to live remains a problem. Representative Maxwell Frost (D-FL) recently announced the securing of $12 million from the Biden Administration for affordable housing and infrastructure, saying it would "make a world of difference for so […]
Florida legislators are urging colleagues support the passage of the Denying Earnings to the Military Oligarchy in Cuba and Restricting Activities of the Cuban Intelligence Apparatus (DEMOCRACIA) Act. The DEMOCRACIA Act, originally introduced by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), would levy sanctions on nefarious Cuban actors and provide access to uncensored internet on the island. The […]
Florida Democratic Party (FDP) Chair Nikki Fried held a press conference following yesterday’s election results throughout the state of Florida. Fried reported that it was a big win for Democrats in the Sunshine State and a bad night for former President Donald Trump (R) and Republicans alike. “So, what we saw last night: Donald Trump […]
