The buzz is that Anastasios “Stasi” Kamoutsas recruited, screened and coached the new appointees to the University of West Florida Board of Trustees. As of March 2025, he serves as Deputy Chief…
Category: State & National News
Top Reads: Week Ended May 17, 2025
Breaking the news that University of West Florida President Dr. Martha Saunders had resigned set off the busiest week for this blog, with 88,343 readers following what was happening with UWF, Tourism,…
Bombshell: Board Chair Resigns Over Hope Florida Controversy
While Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis were defending Hope Florida, the chairman of Save Our Society from Drugs (SOS), the nonprofit focused on preventing substance abuse that received $5…
Backroom Briefing: Looking for Another Lane
Weekly political notes from The News Service of Florida By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida After asserting the Democratic Party in Florida is “dead,” Sen. Jason Pizzo says he’s running…
State lawmakers will take next week off
Florida House Speaker Danny Perez has given state representatives the next week off. “At this point, you will not need to be in Tallahassee prior to Memorial Day,” he wrote in an…
Podcast: Florida’s Property Tax Debate—DeSantis vs. House
In Florida’s current political landscape, a heated debate over tax relief has emerged between Gov. Ron DeSantis and key legislative leaders. Speaking at a Hope Florida Roundtable in Brandon on May 14,…
Daily Outtakes: First Couple defends Hope Florida
At a roundtable held at a church in Brandon yesterday, Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis defended Hope Florida, describing it as not merely a program but a “movement” that…
Florida Budget Deadlock Continues
Budget negotiations remain stalled. During Tuesday’s session, Perez announced the House has offered several proposals, including a “lean, critical-needs budget with minimal spending and no tax cuts.” Perez, who previously advocated for…
Breaking: Senate President reneges on discussing sales tax cut
In a stunning development, Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez has announced that the previously negotiated budget framework between the Florida House and Senate has collapsed. According to Perez, the breakdown occurred after…
Irony: Florida State Parks, sans golf courses, up for Gold Medal
The same week Gov. Ron DeSantis reluctantly admits he will sign the State Park Preservation Act, Florida State Parks announced it had been selected as a finalist for the 2025 National Gold…
DeSantis upset again; this time over tax cuts
Yesterday, Gov. Ron DeSantis held another media event in Tampa to bash the Florida House—this time over tax cuts. Basics: DeSantis is offering homeowners one-time, $1,000 property-tax rebates this year and adding…
DeSantis may reluctantly sign State Park Preservation Act
Victory for State Park Preservation In a remarkable turn of events, Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed Wednesday that he will sign legislation prohibiting the very development he secretly supported—building golf courses, hotels, and…
Podcast: Andrade recaps 2025 Legislative Session
In a recent interview on “(we don’t) Color On the Dog,” State Rep. Alex Andrade discussed the recent legislative session, highlighting key bills, budget priorities, and his role as the Healthcare Appropriations…
Florida DOGE vs. UWF: The Truth Behind the ‘Gotcha Moment’
Yesterday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his Florida Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) announced what they called their first “Gotcha moment” in their ongoing effort to eliminate what they perceive as “wokeness”…
Northwest FL Delegation recognized as Winners
Few people have their finger on the pulse of the Florida Legislature as Peter Schorsch and his FloridaPolitics.com staff. This year, they agree with me that our Northwest Florida delegation had “juice,”…
Daily Outtakes: VA Mental Health Crisis in Pensacola, too
The New York Times reports that President Trump’s decision to end remote work for federal employees has forced VA (Veterans Affairs) mental health clinicians into crowded, public spaces that compromise patient privacy,…
Top Stories: Week ended May 3, 2025
The two top blog topics concerned the city’s selection process for awarding the demolition contract for the Baptist Hospital “legacy campus” and why we have two Pensacola-Escambia Promotion & Development Commissions. Other…
Water Fluoride Ban Heading to DeSantis
Last December, we predicted that fluoride would become an issue in 2025. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, cited controversial studies that…
Top Stories: Week ended April 26, 2025
With the Florida Legislative Session winding down, state politics attracted the most readers to the blog. However, Inweekly’s feature story on Emily Ley and her legal battle over the Trump Administration’s tariffs…
Florida AG takes aim at Diversity Programs in Law Firms
The Florida Attorney General’s Office has issued a policy memorandum declaring that it will no longer engage or approve the engagement of private law firms that have or continue to participate in…
