Gov. DeSantis seeks to pass his AI Bill of Rights during the Florida special session starting next week but faces significant resistance from House Speaker Danny Perez and federal Republican leaders who prefer almost nonexistent national standards. The proposed legislation restricts companion chatbots for minors and mandates parental consent in schools. High fines await non-compliant companies despite the growing national Republican trend toward deregulation of artificial intelligence.
Florida Legislature
Paul Renner Appropriates ‘Affordability’ as His Laggard Campaign Tours Florida
Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate Paul Renner took his “Affordability Now” tour to Tampa Bay Thursday, where the conversation focused on property insurance rates, property taxes, and growing discontent with condominium and homeowners’ associations.
GOP Rep. Ryan Chamberlin Launches Citizen Initiative To Eliminate Florida Property Taxes By 2028
Florida Republicans have struggled to pass property tax relief despite promises of a constitutional amendment for the November ballot. GOP Representative Ryan Chamberlin is now spearheading a 2028 citizen-led initiative to eliminate property taxes entirely as local officials express concern over lost revenue for essential services. Other states like Georgia and Ohio are similarly debating radical tax shifts.
Airport Renaming Aside, Florida Lawmakers Spent Two Months Perfecting Art of the Dither
The Florida Legislature concluded its 2026 session without passing a state budget. Lawmakers prioritized symbolic resolutions and voter suppression over insurance costs, housing affordability, or the climate crisis. Wasted money in the school voucher program and environmental protection were ignored as partisan infighting and petty distractions defined the two-month period.
Voting Rights Groups File Suit as DeSantis Signs Proof-of-Citizenship Law
While Congress remains deadlocked on the SAVE America Act that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, that requirement will soon become the law of the land in Florida now that Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed the latest “voting integrity ” legislation. The governor signed the bill (HB 991) into law Wednesday in The Villages following its approval by the Florida Legislature last month. The law requires people who are registering to vote to produce evidence of citizenship, such as a valid passport or birth certificate. It will take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Trump Gets an Airport in West Palm Beach, Taxpayers Get The $5 Million Bill
Gov. DeSantis signed legislation renaming Palm Beach International Airport after President Donald Trump, a rebranding that’ll cost at $5 million for signage and marketing across the West Palm Beach facility. Republican supporters believe the honor reflects Trump’s presidency as Democrats criticize the wasted money as a political stunt that ignores many pressing state economic priorities for Florida.
Florida Democrats Flip Two Key Legislative Seats In Biggest Special Election Victory In Recent Years
Florida Democrats flipped two legislative seats during special elections held Tuesday. Navy veteran Brian Nathan secured a narrow victory in a Hillsborough County senate district. Emily Gregory won House District 87, which covers the Mar-a-Lago area. Republican Hilary Holley maintained GOP control of House District 51 in Polk County. These results represent significant momentum for the Democratic party within a traditionally Republican-leaning state legislative landscape.
DeSantis Signs Law Ensuring You Can Always Use Loud, Smelly Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers and Mowers
Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 290 to protect the use of gas-powered equipment against local government bans. The wide-ranging legislation also restricts housing density development in small municipalities and authorizes state officials to repurpose surplus conservation lands for agricultural production, a provision that has Democrats worried. Other provisions include stricter penalties for commercial license fraud and the repeal of a grocery assistance program.
At Least 205 Migrants Have Been Detained at Flagler County Jail So Far This Year as Part of ICE Sweeps
At least 205 individuals arrested as part of the Trump administration sweep of undocumented migrants have been detained at the Flagler County jail so far this year, based on a day-by-day analysis of jail bookings by FlaglerLive. Records remain heavily redacted despite state public records laws. Local deputies now act as federal agents through the 287(g) program, with significant activity continuing daily. The jail reportedly offers better conditions than federal holding centers, but verification and transparency remain difficult to impossible.
Florida Sheriffs Led by Polk’s Grady Judd Sharply Criticize Federal Mass Deportation Efforts
Florida law enforcement leaders on the State Immigration Enforcement Council now advocate for a path to legal status for undocumented residents without criminal records. Council chair Grady Judd expressed concerns that federal agents are sweeping up productive individuals who contribute to the economy. The group suggests a 5-year process involving civil fines and English proficiency. This shift contrasts with previous support for aggressive deportation.
Another Pass-Fail Session of the Florida Legislature: Here’s What Happened To Ten Key Issues
Significant gridlock between the Florida House and Senate left the state budget, property tax reform, and education voucher fixes unfinished. Legislators plan to reconvene in April to resolve fiscal disputes. Key successes included utility data center regulations and expanding armed campus security. Most high-profile proposals regarding medical malpractice and artificial intelligence rights failed to advance.
Florida Eagerly Turns Back the Clock to 1956
Florida’s Legislature is actively rolling back diversity initiatives, voting rights, and LGBTQ+ protections. New educational mandates target perceived Marxist influences in universities and grade schools. State leaders are prohibiting local climate policies to protect industrial interests, all of it intentionally retreating toward the restrictive cultural and environmental standards of 1956.
Florida Lawmakers Pass Bill To Arm University Professors
The Florida House passed a legislative package authorizing professors and university appointees to carry firearms on campus. This measure extends the School Guardian Program to public colleges. Lawmakers resolved a dispute regarding private religious school security by focusing exclusively on higher education. The bill mandates university threat-management teams and faculty training for behavioral warning signs.
Florida Legislature Approves Bill Banning Student IDs and Requiring Proof of US Citizenship for All Future Voters
The Florida Legislature approved HB 991, requiring proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration. The bill removes student and retirement IDs as acceptable forms of identification. Although there’s no indication or proof of voter fraud beyond isolated cases, Republicans argue the measure ensures integrity. The measure will disenfranchise eligible voters lacking specific documents. The law takes effect in 2027, requiring citizenship verification through motor vehicle department records.
Data Center Secrecy Clears Florida Legislature
The Senate on Friday voted 31-6 on a bill (SB 484) that imposes restrictions on proposed data centers, including reinforcing the ability of local governments to refuse them. But the House previously amended the measure to allow local governments to enter into non-disclosure agreements with tech companies for up to 12 months that would hide data center proposals from the public.
Florida Legislature Clears Latest Measure Aimed at Union-Busting
The Florida House approved SB 1296, a bill significantly increasing requirements for public sector union recertification. Unions must now secure votes from 50% of all eligible employees, rather than a simple majority of participants. Public safety unions remain exempt. The measure faces intense criticism from Democrats and labor leaders. They argue it is designed to dismantle organizations representing teachers and other government workers.
Florida House Passes Contentious Legislation To Ban Local Government Funding For Diversity And Equity Initiatives
The Florida House approved SB 1134, a bill banning local governments from funding or promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Passing 77-37, the measure allows citizens to sue officials and empowers the governor to remove those in violation. GOP legislators claim DEI wastes taxpayer funds. Critics warn the vague language threatens cultural celebrations and marginalized communities. The bill now awaits Governor Ron DeSantis’ signature.
Disagreements Over Education, Affordable Housing and Florida Forever Money Force Extended Legislative Session
Florida legislative leaders are at a stalemate over the state budget, requiring an extended or special session. House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton remain divided on total spending, with a $1.4 billion gap between their proposals. Key disputes involve K-12 education funding, state worker pay raises, environmental conservation programs like Florida Forever, and millions in funding for affordable housing initiatives.
Stricter E-Bike Rules Set for DeSantis Signature
Florida lawmakers unanimously passed SB 382, a measure tightening regulations on electric bicycles. The bill, now heading to Governor Ron DeSantis, requires e-bike operators to slow to 10 mph within 50 feet of pedestrians on shared paths. It also mandates audible warnings before passing and establishes a safety task force. Additionally, law enforcement must compile detailed crash data, including operator age and licensing status.
Florida Bill Banning Masking Identity of Law Enforcement and Immigration Agents Fails
Florida’s “Visible Act,” designed to ban masked law enforcement during immigration raids, has failed in the state legislature. Following fatal shootings by masked ICE agents in Minnesota, advocates like Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith argue for transparency. While Florida has historic anti-mask laws dating back to 1951 to combat the Ku Klux Klan, experts remain divided on whether these statutes can legally apply to federal officers.
Florida House Kills Bill to Expand Vaccine Exemptions
The Florida Senate is advancing a controversial bill to expand vaccine exemptions and allow over-the-counter ivermectin sales, despite House Speaker Daniel Perez stating the measure will not be heard. The bill excludes a total repeal of school mandates, but creates a new conscience-based opt-out category. The debate intensifies as Florida faces 124 measles cases in 2026, primarily linked to a university outbreak.
Worsening School Voucher Tracking Issues Ahead, a Senator Warns as Reform Bill Fails
Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez announced the House will not consider legislation lacking previous committee hearings, effectively killing Senate President Ben Albritton’s Rural Renaissance bill and Don Gaetz’s school voucher reform. While policy changes are stalled, a $144.8 million rural appropriation remains active in budget negotiations. Gaetz warned that failing to address voucher accounting shortfalls found in state audits will lead to further mismanagement.
Florida House Passes Bill Granting Immunity to Gun Manufacturers Amid Sig Sauer Lawsuit Concerns
The Florida House passed HB 1551, a bill providing gun manufacturers immunity from certain products liability lawsuits. The 75-29 vote follows over $500,000 in campaign contributions from Sig Sauer, which faces litigation over its P320 pistols. While the House approved the measure, the Senate version remains stalled in committee with only 1 week remaining in the current legislative session.
Bill To Allow Easier School Vaccine Opt-Outs Heads to Senate Floor Despite Rising Measles Cases
A Florida Senate panel approved SB 1756, a bill allowing parents to opt out of school-required vaccinations based on “conscience.” The move comes despite Florida ranking third nationally with 107 confirmed measles cases this year. Lawmakers also rejected an amendment that would have permitted private schools to maintain their own mandates. With 10 days left in the session, the House has yet to hear the proposal.
Day Of Celebration In Palm Coast Honors Local Heroes And Demands Urgency For State Black History Museum
The Day of Celebration at Palm Coast United Methodist Church highlighted the urgent need for the Florida House to approve the Museum of Black History in St. Augustine. Local leaders honored figures like the late Jim Guines and the Seeking Insights for Solutions Group and were brought to their feet by a pair of young performers who brought Black history to life. Despite unanimous Senate support, the project remains stalled in the House, prompting calls for legislative action to preserve Florida’s heritage.
Florida Supreme Court Rejects Legal Petition To Block DeSantis From Redrawing Congressional Districts
The Florida Supreme Court unanimously rejected a petition from voters seeking to block Governor Ron DeSantis’ plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts. The ruling confirms the governor’s authority to call a special session and the Secretary of State’s power to adjust election qualifying dates. DeSantis aims to reshape districts ahead of potential federal rulings regarding the Voting Rights Act and race-based mapping.
Florida’s Legislative Session at Midpoint: Manufactured Outrage Over Solving State Crises
Midway through the legislative session, Florida lawmakers are neglecting pressing issues like housing and healthcare to focus on divisive culture wars and partisan distractions. Instead of helping citizens, representatives are advancing bills to rename airports, ban library books, protect gun manufacturers, and restrict voting rights. Furthermore, proposed legislation threatens to criminalize political dissent, signaling a deeply concerning shift toward government overreach and unconstitutional state surveillance.
Controversial Bill Allowing Armed Civilians On Florida College Campuses Advances After House Approval
The Florida House of Representatives recently passed a bill expanding the school guardian program to state colleges and universities. The legislation allows college presidents to designate faculty and staff to carry concealed weapons on campus. While supporters cite safety concerns following previous campus violence, opponents question the adequacy of the proposed training and highlight funding disparities for law enforcement between colleges and state universities.
Florida Patients and Doctors Scramble As Proposed AIDS Drug Program Cuts Threaten Care And Public Health
Proposed budget cuts by the Florida Department of Health threaten the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program, which helps low-income residents access vital HIV medications and insurance coverage. Tightened eligibility requirements and restricted drug options could leave thousands without lifesaving treatment, likely increasing transmission rates and public health costs. Advocacy groups have filed lawsuits to block these changes while the legislature debates additional program funding options.
Florida Senate Unanimously Backed Black History Museum in St. Johns, But Will House Meet The Moment?
Florida’s Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 308, sponsored by Sen. Tom Leek, to establish a state-funded Museum of Black History in St. Johns County, correcting a historical omission. The proposed museum would offer space for education and heritage tourism on land holding deep personal and historical significance. While the Senate acted decisively, the companion bill currently stalls in the House, leaving lawmakers to choose between symbolic gestures and meaningful action.
Florida Senate Approves Fix for SB 180’s Unintended Consequences on Land-Use Law, But House Dithers
The Florida Senate unanimously passed a bill to scale back a 2025 hurricane recovery law that inadvertently hindered local governments from protecting critical infrastructure. Sponsored by Sen. Nick DiCeglie, the new legislation reduces the geographical restrictions of the original law and clarifies land-use rules. Senators are now urging the House to advance the companion bill before the legislative session ends to resolve ongoing local disputes.
Florida Senate Unanimously Passes Public Registry for Animal Abusers
The Florida Senate unanimously passed a bill to create a public registry for individuals convicted of animal abuse, maintained by the Department of Law Enforcement. The legislation also aims to crack down on puppy mills by introducing consumer protections, eliminating limits on recoverable veterinary costs, and establishing a voluntary best-practices program for dog breeders. A companion bill is currently advancing through the Florida State House.
Florida Senate Passes Bill Mandating Washington and Lincoln Portraits in Public Schools
The Senate voted 36-2 on Thursday in support of a proposal that directs county school districts to place portraits of Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in every public school.
Florida House Votes to End All Non-School Homestead Property Taxes, But Senate Odds Remain Slim
The Republican-controlled Florida House passed a joint resolution to ask voters to eliminate non-school property taxes for homesteaded properties by 2027. The sweeping measure faces doubtful success. The Florida Senate has not introduced companion legislation and Governor Ron DeSantis prefers a special session. Democrats heavily criticized the proposal, warning that it would bankrupt local governments and defund essential local public services.
Florida House Approves New Hurdles on Already Strict and Stingy Jobless Benefits
The Florida House passed a bill Tuesday adding strict eligibility requirements for unemployment benefits, including mandatory weekly employer contacts and interview attendance. While Republicans argue the measure is necessary to stop fraud, Democrats contend it penalizes valid claimants in a system that already offers some of the nation’s lowest benefits. The bill also mandates the Department of Commerce perform bi-weekly checks on claimants’ incarceration and employment status.
A Day After Blocking Diverting Emergency Money to Migrant Enforcement, House Backs Down
The Florida House on Tuesday backed down from its proposal to block emergency funds from being used on illegal immigration enforcement following harsh criticism from the DeSantis administration. This represents a massive pivot from the GOP-dominated House’s original proposal to exclusively use the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund on natural disasters, an idea blasted as “moronic” by the state Attorney General James Uthmeier, a former aide to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Florida House GOP Bill Blocks Dollars for ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
A Republican effort to block new funding for the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” and “Deportation Depot” migrant lockups unanimously cleared its first House committee hearing Monday. The bill would prevent the state’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund from going toward immigration enforcement, a move that would starkly pivot legislative Republicans away from their all-in anti-illegal immigration crackdown pushed just one year ago.
House Plan Shifts USF’s Sarasota Campus Under Control of Right-Winged New College
This year’s budget negotiations will entail negotiating the future of University of South Florida’s Sarasota-Manatee campus. The Florida House Higher Education Budget Subcommittee Monday approved transferring the campus to New College of Florida on a party line vote, in line with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ budget proposal. The Senate is not on the same page, leaving such a swap completely out of its initial budget documents.
Bill Would Ban Local Governments From Requiring Lot Sizes Larger Than 1,200 Square Feet
A proposal by a Port Charlotte Republican to ease local zoning rules to spur construction of smaller, more affordable homes has cleared its first House Committee. The House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee advanced HB 1143, titled the “Florida Starter Homes Act,” on a 14-2 vote following debate over local control, infrastructure capacity and housing affordability.
Saturday in Byblos:
Raja Shehadeh’s Vanishing Palestine
Florida’s House Bill 31 seeks to rename the West Bank as “Judea and Samaria,” erasing Palestinian history and rights to their land and violating international law. Raja Shehadeh’s “Palestinian Walks,” originally published in 2007, explores the systematic expropriation of Palestinian land through legal chicanery, balkanization, theft and settler vigilantism. But it does so through six walks that, for all the politics and bitter history, also have the transcendent feel of inner discovery of the soul through nature or reverence for the deep roots of genealogy through places as ordinary as a hillside.
Florida House Approves Bill Broadening Definition of Books to Ban from School Libraries
The Florida House approved a measure Wednesday that puts a definition of “materials harmful to minors” into a controversial 2023 Florida law that led to books being removed from school libraries.
Bill Would Ban Local Governments from Adopting Climate Change Policies
Local governments would be severely restricted from implementing measures to reduce the effects of climate change under a bill approved Thursday by a Florida House committee. The measure (HB 1217) comes nearly two years Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation declaring that the state would no longer be required to consider climate change when crafting energy policy.
Misleading Bill Banning Use of ‘West Bank’ in Schools and State Documents Passes Florida House
“Judea and Samaria” are the biblical names for the region in the Middle East and is how the Israeli government refers to the area. The international community, including the U.S. government, refers to the territory as the West Bank (of the Jordan River) and doesn’t recognize Israeli sovereignty there. Approximately 3 million Palestinians and half a million Israeli settlers live in the West Bank. A legislative analysis accompanying the bill falsely states that Israel “liberated” the West Bank from Jordan in 1967. The West Bank is occupied territory as defined by international law.
Poll Shows Overwhelming Support for $100 Million Funding of Florida Forever
A new public opinion poll shows substantial support among Florida voters for a proposal to provide $100 million for a land preservation program. The results of the Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy survey published this week shows 74% of Floridians want lawmakers to vote for the money in the state budget to fund Florida Forever. The program which falls under the Department of Environmental Protection was founded a quarter century ago with the objective of acquiring property and preserving it.
Voters Challenge Governor’s Authority Over Special Redistricting Session
Two South Florida voters want the state Supreme Court to determine if Gov. Ron DeSantis had the authority to call for mid-decade congressional redistricting and delay candidate qualifying. The petition asks the court to determine if the governor’s Jan. 7 proclamation for a special legislative session the week of April 20 to redraw congressional districts encroached on the power of the Legislature as it proclaimed that 2026 is “a year in which the Legislature will apportion the state.”
Bill Requiring New Florida Voters to Prove U.S. Citizenship Advances
A bill to impose heightened requirements for first-time voters, including mandating presentation of documents such as a U.S. passport or birth certificate — received its first hearing in this year’s legislative session, and was approved by a party-line vote in the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee on Wednesday. Critics warned the bill would backfire and block voter registrations of eligible U.S. citizens.
Florida Lawmakers Move to Arm College Staffers Under ‘Guardian’ Program
A Florida House committee unanimously approved a bill to expand the “school guardian” program to state colleges and universities. Inspired by a 2025 shooting at Florida State University, the proposal allows campus presidents to designate trained employees to carry firearms. While supporters emphasize enhanced response times, critics warn that arming civilians could confuse law enforcement during active shooter scenarios.
Defying DeSantis’s ‘Terrorist’ Designation, CAIR Florida Officials Drop In for Muslim Day at State Capitol
Officials from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Florida came to Tallahassee Monday to speak with lawmakers about pending legislation during the annual “Muslim Day” at the Capitol, but found conditions far different than in the past. In an absurd posting, Florida Attorney James Uthmeier asked law enforcement to be “on heightened alert for any possible security threats.” At least seven members of the Florida Capitol Police stood sentry in the rotunda of the Capitol as the press conference took place — as noted by one lawmaker who spoke.
First a State Guard. Now Florida Wants a State Anti-Terrorism Police.
A proposal by Riverview Republican Rep. Danny Alvarez to create a statewide counterintelligence and counterterrorism unit cleared its first House committee stop. HB 945 would require the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to establish and administer a Statewide Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Unit tasked with identifying and disrupting foreign and domestic threats operating in, or targeting, Florida.
Florida House Battles Senate to Dismantle Post Parkland Gun Laws
Florida House Republicans are pushing HB 6029 to repeal the state’s 2018 risk-protection order law, which allows for temporary firearm confiscation from dangerous individuals. Despite the House’s repeated attempts to roll back Parkland-era restrictions, Senate President Ben Albritton remains a staunch opponent of the repeal, citing the law’s effectiveness in preventing mass violence. With over 19,000 orders issued since its inception, the law faces intense Second Amendment scrutiny but currently lacks a Senate sponsor.