House Speaker Daniel Perez in his parting remarks to members Tuesday emphasized the importance of standing firm, while Senate President Ben Albritton emphasized love. As of now, Tuesday was probably the last meeting of the 2024-2026 Florida Legislature, convened in special session to pass Gov. Ron DeSantis plan to slash property taxes. The sessions were […]
TAMPA — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday announced his plan for a homestead property tax exemption that could crimp local governments’ ability to fund schools, health care, and public safety. Simultaneously, he called for lawmakers to return to Tallahassee and address his plan in a three-day special session starting Monday. DeSantis has been discussing elimination […]
TAMPA — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday announced his plan for a homestead property tax exemption that could crimp local governments’ ability to fund schools, health care, and public safety. Simultaneously, he called for lawmakers to return to Tallahassee and address his plan in a three-day special session starting Monday. DeSantis has been discussing elimination […]
It’s not news that Ron DeSantis doesn’t much care for Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez. But just in case you forgot that dynamic, the governor took the opportunity during a ceremony in Madison Thursday afternoon to torch Perez yet again. In this case, the governor went on a verbal tear for nearly 10 minutes (with […]
With billions on the line for Florida’s schools, the environment, and its neediest citizens, state legislators return to Tallahassee Tuesday to finally craft a new state budget. Republicans who control the Legislature were unable to piece together the state fiscal year 2026-27 budget during their regular session that ended in March. The standoff was largely […]
Gov. Ron DeSantis released his proposed newly redrawn map of the state’s congressional districts on Monday, one that aims to add four Republican leaning seat to the 20 (out of 28) already represented by Republicans in Florida. The governor released the map first to Fox News before sending to lawmakers an hour later. “They are erasing […]
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan to redraw Florida’s congressional map next week is designed to benefit Donald Trump and “burnish” his own credentials with his “rightwing base” in case he decides to make another bid for the White House. “Florida Republicans are preparing to redraw their already gerrymandered map. […]
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis insisted Tuesday that a special session on congressional redistricting will take place, although maybe not beginning Monday as originally scheduled. The governor spoke during a press conference in Tallahassee shortly after Punchbowl News reported that DeSantis was considering delaying the session until after Virginia holds a referendum on a proposed congressional […]
There will be no budget negotiations in Tallahassee next week. Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez issued separate statements advising their respective members Wednesday they won’t need to travel to Tallahassee next week for a special session on the budget. There had been speculation that the Legislature would meet April 13-17 in […]
Just weeks before the Florida Legislature is scheduled to redraw the congressional map, a majority of likely voters are opposed to mid-decade redistricting, a new poll shows. More than 56% of the 1,125 Floridians surveyed think it’s a “bad idea,” according to the Emerson College poll released Thursday. That represents a vast majority of Democrats […]
TAMPA — In the aftermath of last Tuesday’s Democratic upset victory in the Florida Senate District 14 special election in Hillsborough County, Gov. Ron DeSantis has drawn some shade for his refusal to help Josie Tomkow, the Republican who lost to Democratic union organizer Brian Nathan. He won despite her 10-1 advantage in fundraising and […]
There will be no automatic machine recount in the Senate District 14 race between Democrat Brian Nathan and Republican Josie Tomkow, the Florida Division of Elections said Friday. That’s because Nathan’s margin of victory — 405 votes — did not meet the statutory threshold to trigger a machine recount. Florida law says that a machine […]
Gov. Ron DeSantis, flanked by Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and Senate President Ben Albritton, signed the 2026 Florida Farm bill in Highlands County Monday. SB 290, the agency bill for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, was subject of heavy public involvement throughout the legislative process, but eventually passed with wide, bipartisan support. The […]
As the GOP-controlled Florida Legislature nears the end of its 60-day regular session without accomplishing it’s only constitutionally required duty of passing a balanced state budget, negative reviews are coming in — including from Republicans themselves. “The most painfully obvious dereliction of duty is how Florida families are telling legislators loud and clear: The cost […]
The Florida House has passed legislation to provide immunity for gun manufacturers in “certain products liability actions” based on “any design feature, functionality, safety mechanism, or performance standard that is not required by federal law.” The bill (HB 1551) was written to protect gun manufacturer Sig Sauer, which has been the subject of numerous lawsuits […]
The Florida House voted Thursday to revive the state’s expired emergency fund — embattled because of an immigration enforcement tab totaling in the hundreds of millions — but with a few weakened changes to appease the DeSantis administration. The measure, HB 5503, passed 84-18, largely along party lines. Democrats opposed language that would continue allowing […]