State & Local

Government affairs firm Capital City Consulting announced that former senior advisor to Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) Heather Barker has been hired by the firm. The former senior advisor will head the firm’s political fundraising, charitable and non-profit fundraising, and assist in “business development and the facilitation of business-to-business strategic partnerships,” according to Capital City Consulting’s […]

Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) called on his fellow Floridians in the State Legislature to reject HB 789/SB 738 – legislation that “revises construction relating to causes of action for damages to real or personal property directly resulting from certain discharges or other conditions of pollution.” Some believe this bill would make it easier for polluters […]

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R-FL) is launching a new program to reinvestigate cold cases in Florida in an effort to resolve them.  The project will be called Florida's Cold Case Investigations Unit. The unit will assist Florida law enforcement specifically in homicides.  Attorney General Moody announced the new unit under the Office of Statewide […]

Florida legislators in the state government declared Thursday to be Israel Day at the Capitol. Speakers for the event included State Senators Ana Maria Rodriguez (R-FL) and Jason Pizzo (D-FL), State Representative Randy Fine (R-FL), and survivors of the Oct. 7 attack, Millet Ben Haim and Rom El Hai. The Israel Day at the Capitol […]

A coalition of US Senators and Members of the House of Representatives have filed the Secure U.S. Leadership in Space Act of 2024 to incentivize investment in the American space industry.  Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) introduced the bill in the Senate while Representatives Neal Dunn (R-FL) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA) […]

Senator Jonathan Martin’s (R-33) proposed law on ‘lewd & lascivious’ grooming has received unanimous support within committees in the Florida Senate and will now head for a floor vote.  ‘Lewd & Lascivious’ grooming refers to behavior where an adult attempts to entice a minor into illegal sexual behavior or to exploit the minor for human […]

A group of conservative senators led by Rick Scott (R-FL) has penned a letter urging President Joe Biden reconsider his current foreign policy strategy in Latin America.  The letter alleges President Biden’s current strategy is a “misuse” of US influence and runs counter to the nation’s foreign policy interests.  Namely, the senators criticized Biden’s designation […]

Social Media Ban Puts Parental Rights in Crosshairs The past week at the Capitol has been a flurry of activity, with Lawmakers rushing to turn their bills into Florida law. With only a week and a half left in the 2024 Legislative Session, big bills related to Jeffrey Epstein and—in the most controversial news of […]

Florida International University has always been ahead of the curb on environmental research.  Now FIU has published what they believe is the most unsuspecting threat to local ecosystems today. In a study funded by the National Science Foundation, seagrass was concluded to possibly be a big problem moving forward in bodies of water, specifically in […]

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez (R) has oddly become the newest target of mainstream media in Florida.  The Miami Herald recently released an investigative report on the Miami Mayor for his upcoming conference with Saudi Arabian officials. The Herald even sent out a "News Alert" of the event. Does the Herald have a bone to pick […]

Despite facing continued criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike, Florida House Bill 1, which would ban minors under the age of 16 from accessing social media, is headed for Governor Ron DeSantis's (R-FL) desk after passing the Florida House. Representative Maxwell Frost (D-FL) issued an inflammatory message after the bill's passing, calling it "a blatant and disturbing […]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced a series of measures enforcing a new sanctions plan announced by President Joe Biden on the eve of the two-year anniversary of Russia’s Ukraine invasion. These include the forfeiture of $2.5 million in Russian-luxury properties, two arrests, two charges against sanctioned Russian oligarchs, and a guilty plea […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—During yet another press conference,  Gov. Ron DeSantis hit on hot topics like troops at the Texas border, Hurricane Idalia relief, and Jeffrey Epstein, announcing in Cedar Key his plans to increase security, relief, and transparency for Floridians. "If you don't have a border you don't have a country...There's a lot of people from […]

Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) held a press conference Thursday in Lake Buena Vista highlighting the changes brought by eliminating the Disney-owned Reedy Creek Improvement District, now the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. "We were here almost a year ago signing legislation to bring an end to really an anomaly of local government, which was the Reedy Creek Improvement District […]

Florida HB1, which would ban minors from accessing social media, has faced considerable controversy since its introduction at the beginning of the year. During a press conference in Lake Buena Vista, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) stated "There are legitimate issues that [have] got to be worked out," and reiterated the importance of parental rights. "I am […]

Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has been criticized by Democrats nation-wide for being authoritarian when it comes to education.  Now the governor is attempting to debunk book banning accusations, calling it a "hoax." Governor DeSantis has now called on the legislature to amend current laws that allow people to abuse standards which are said to be […]

TALLAHASSEE, FL—A bill banning local governments from providing community IDs to illegal immigrants passed its final committee stop Wednesday afternoon, though not before facing claims of "inhumanity". SB 1174 builds on a sweeping immigration package passed last session. One of the provisions prevented local governments from providing money to nonprofits so they could create community […]

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson (R-FL) provided his thoughts concerning kratom, the herbal substance growing in popularity around the country. The substance is used over the counter to combat withdrawal symptoms. The drug is said to produce “opioid and stimulant-like effects” according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, however. It is more often […]