News
More legal weed laws coming to Florida?
Cannabis activists and supportive state lawmakers say they will propose a host of measures during this spring’s legislative session to give Floridians more access to medical marijuana. “There is going to be legislation to match every single issue under the sun related to medical cannabis and recreational adult-use cannabis this year,” promised Orlando Democratic House […]
DeSantis tilts FL Supreme Court to the right with new justice picks
Solidifying a conservative majority, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday made his third appointment to the Florida Supreme Court, selecting a former top legal aide to Gov. Jeb Bush and Attorney General Pam Bondi. DeSantis tapped Carlos Genaro Muñiz, 49, as the third justice he has appointed since he took office earlier this month. DeSantis got […]
“Broken culture,” improper spending, embarrassment, at University of Central FL
The University of Central Florida is under fire after an investigative report revealed tens of millions in improper spending for construction projects, the News Service of Florida reports. UCF President Dale Whittaker acknowledged a “broken culture” at the Orlando-based university, and has said he’ll terminate four members of the school’s finance and administration division. At […]
Former FL Attorney General Pam Bondi now a Washington lobbyist
Florida’s outgoing top legal officer, former Attorney General Pam Bondi, is heading to Washington, D.C. to join a politically-connected lobbying firm, Ballard Partners. The firm, started by lobbyist Brian Ballard in Florida, is closely tied to the Trump administration. Bondi will chair the firm’s Corporate Regulatory Compliance practice, according to a Ballard Partners press release. […]
It’s now a month with no pay for federal workers
As the partial federal government shutdown grinds on, the stress on affected federal workers in Florida is showing. They’ve now gone 32 days without receiving a paycheck. “The morale is at the bottom of the barrel, but they hang in there,” says Tampa meteorologist Dan Sobian, speaking about his colleagues at the National Weather Service, […]
DeSantis retracts dozens of appointments made in waning days of Scott administration
Former Gov. Rick Scott made dozens of appointments to various boards in the waning days of his tenure, making his own choices though new governor Ron DeSantis was just about to be inaugurated. Friday, DeSantis retracted 46 of those appointments made on January 4th and 7th — he was sworn into office on January 8th. […]
A power grab or good government? DeSantis suspends Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections; puts in attorney with GOP ties
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher on Friday, and replaced the elected Democrat with an attorney with Republican Party ties. DeSantis announced that West Palm Beach attorney Wendy Link would be replacing Bucher, but added that she has told the governor she will not run for the post […]
Women’s March in D.C. is filled with controversy: FL Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz won’t participate
Two years ago this weekend, more than half-a-million people descended on Washington D.C. for the first Women’s March. Similar rallies were held around Florida and around the country, as was the case in 2018. But this year’s Women’s March, taking place Saturday, is filled with controversy after accusations of anti-Semitism have been levied at some […]
The price tag for DeSantis inauguration is in the millions
From a black-tie inaugural ball to a prayer breakfast, legislative luncheon and other activities in the state capital and elsewhere in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis’s inauguration will end up costing several million dollars, though the final tally is not complete. The initial budget was about $3.5-million — and is expected to come in under that, […]
FL Gov. DeSantis is for smokable pot for sick people; pushes Legislature to quickly fix the medical marijuana law
Saying “We need to have the people’s will represented,” Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday pushed the Florida Legislature to quickly fix the state’s medical marijuana law to allow smokable pot for sick people. He also said he’s filing a motion with the First District Court of Appeal, requesting a stay of opinion on a key lawsuit […]
Entire Florida Democratic Congressional delegation backs raising federal minimum wage to $15 an hour
One of the central tenants of the Democratic Party nationally and in Florida over the past several years has been to raise the minimum wage, and this week every Florida House member signed on as a co-sponsor of a measure that calls for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024. The […]
Changes may come today on the medical marijuana front
Last summer, marijuana activists came to the state capital and called on then-Florida Gov. Rick Scott to drop the state’s challenges over certain lawsuits related to medical marijuana. Scott didn’t take action. Now, there’s a new governor in Florida, Ron DeSantis, and he appears to differ from his predecessor’s views. Numerous news outlets throughout the […]