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DeSantis traveled to Nevada, a key primary state, over the weekend; Trump to speak in Iowa Monday
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ book tour took him to Las Vegas over the weekend, when he pitched his ideas about freedom to around 1,200 people. “Washington said it was the duty of Americans to preserve what he called the sacred fire of liberty,” he said, according to reporting by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “This falls to […]
11th Circuit will expedite Andrew Warren’s bid for reinstatement as prosecutor
A federal appeals court will fast track Andrew Warren’s constitutional challenge to his suspension by Gov. Ron DeSantis as state’s attorney for Hillsborough County, scheduling oral arguments on May 1. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit responded to a motion by the twice-elected prosecutor on Wednesday. The court set a deadline of […]
Trial lawyers vs. business fight could leave average Floridians in the lurch
Bikers roamed the state capital this week. Inside the Capitol complex, dozens of motorcyclists packed into a committee room to complain that language in proposed legislation would leave them unable to recover from insurance companies if they get plowed into by a car when they aren’t wearing a helmet. As lawmakers consider sweeping legal reforms […]
State of the State: DeSantis keeps pressure on to keep moving right; ‘you ain’t seen nothing yet’
Legislative Republicans were ebullient as the Florida House and Senate gathered in joint session Tuesday to open the 60-day regular session. They now enjoy supermajorities in both chambers, and Gov. Ron DeSantis, their unquestioned leader, is a strong contender for president in 2024. Yet DeSantis’ State of the State address, his yearly report to the […]
After out-of-state political travel, DeSantis set to give FL’s State of the State address Tuesday
Gov. Ron DeSantis presaged the “State of the State” speech he’s scheduled to deliver Tuesday with a series of what sure looked like presidential campaign speeches in the big states of California and Texas over the weekend, one of which included a veiled swipe at Donald Trump. The governor never mentioned Trump by name — […]
Legislature to push sweeping changes to FL’s legal system; prepare for a ‘wild west of litigation’
Shortly after a state House committee last month OK’d sweeping changes to the state’s litigation process, Speaker Paul Renner gathered a powerful array of business and insurance representatives in the Capitol’s Fourth Floor rotunda for a news conference. They all agreed that, in making it harder to sue insurance companies, the legislation would reduce frivolous […]
Clinics appeal to FL Supreme Court’s conservative bent in fighting abortion ban
Attorneys for a group of abortion clinics are pleading with the Florida Supreme Court not to overrule decades of precedent protecting access to the procedure under the Florida Constitution, citing the plain text of that document’s Privacy Clause and the danger to millions of Florida women. Arguments, filed Tuesday on behalf of Planned Parenthood and […]
Nikki Fried seeks to undercut DeSantis ‘freedom’ message as his book lands in stores
With Gov. Ron DeSantis launching a series of public appearances around publication on Tuesday of his new political book, by all appearances preparatory to a presidential campaign launch, the freshly minted chair of the Florida Democratic Party issued a warning to the country. DeSantis’ book is called “The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for […]
DeSantis ends Disney’s control of special district; names political supporters to new board
What qualities did you need to win appointment by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the new board that will replace The Walt Disney Co. as overseers of the thousands of Central Florida acres housing the company’s theme parks, and which will answer directly to him? Judging by the list the governor released on Monday, it helped […]
Gov. DeSantis plans legislative attack on Florida’s undocumented immigrants
Gov. Ron DeSantis has unveiled an anti-immigration agenda that would deny jobs, education, and possibly health care for hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants who call Florida home. If the governor gets his way with the state Legislature — as is likely — all private employers would have to screen potential hires against the dodgy […]
Senator concedes defeat in legal challenge to DeSantis’ migrant flights
A state senator waived the white flag on his lawsuit challenging Gov. Ron DeSantis’ migrant flights, conceding during a court hearing Wednesday that the Florida Legislature has repealed aspects targeted in the litigation while reauthorizing the program. Sen. Jason Pizzo, who is an attorney, still objects to the rejiggered version that cleared the House and […]
A.G. Moody, citing Dobbs ruling, seeks to cut off Planned Parenthood funding
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has asked a federal trial court to allow the state to enforce a seven-year-old law denying taxpayer support for health facilities that provide abortions, even if the money wouldn’t pay directly for abortion services. Back in 2016, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle cited Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme […]