By Gray Rohrer and Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida Lawmakers convened a special session Tuesday to resolve a $1.4 billion difference between the preferred spending plans of the House and…
Category: State & National News
FIRE Fires Off Second Letter to PSC
Free speech watchdog FIRE gives PSC until May 18 to restore funding for a student magazine blocked over LGBTQ content—or face a First Amendment lawsuit
How did the Florida Chamber Grade Our Lawmakers?
Florida Chamber grades NW Florida lawmakers: Boyles & Andrade earn A’s, Gaetz gets a B, Salzman pulls a C. See how your reps scored on business votes.
Legislature Approves DeSantis’ Congressional Districts
By Gary Rohrer, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – Florida lawmakers approved a major redrawing of the state’s 28 congressional districts Wednesday, a move that could help Republicans retain control of…
Democrats, Voting Rights Groups Challenge DeSantis’ Map
See you in court.’ Democrats, voting rights groups, and editorial boards are lighting up over DeSantis’s ‘Dummymander’—and lawsuits are already being promised.
DeSantis Delivers Redistricting Maps; Pensacola No Change
DeSantis wants Florida’s congressional map redrawn—race-neutral, controversial, and heading for a legislative vote THIS WEEK. Here’s what’s in the proposal.
DeSantis Rewards UWF Trustee Bailey w/Judgeship
DeSantis skipped a federal judge and 9 other qualified lawyers to put a UWF trustee on the bench. The network behind that pick is worth a close look.
Jolly Opens Pensacola Office, Following Chiles Formula
Jolly for Governor plants its first regional office on Pensacola’s iconic Palafox Street—echoing the grassroots spirit of Florida’s “Walkin’ Lawton.”
Andrade: DeSantis’s Fatal Flaws with Redistricting
DeSantis called a special session on redistricting—but a Pensacola lawmaker says the governor made two critical errors that put Florida in this mess.
Florida’s Redistricting Special Session Pushed Back as DeSantis Expands the Agenda
What was supposed to be a straightforward return to Tallahassee just got more complicated. The Delay Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a proclamation Wednesday postponing Florida’s redistricting special session by one week. Lawmakers…
Florida Unemployment Ticks Up to 4.5% in January—Escambia County Hit Hard
Florida’s unemployment rate climbed to 4.5% in January, a 0.2 percentage point jump from December, according to data released Wednesday by the Department of Commerce. The increase marks the fifth consecutive month…
Gulf Breeze’s Own Bill Ferrara Joins Tennessee Lady Vols Coaching Staff
A Gulf Breeze High School graduate is heading to one of the most storied programs in women’s basketball history. Head coach Kim Caldwell Hill named Bill Ferrara, who has built a 19-year…
Breaking: American Racing Confirmed as U.S. Challenger for 38th America’s Cup, Acquires American Magic Assets
American Racing Challenger Team USA, representing Sail Newport, has been confirmed as the official U.S. challenger for the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup—and the team is arriving with immediate firepower, having acquired…
Catch Up on Voter Citizenship ID Bill Heading to DeSantis
What will happen in court is anyone’s guess, but there is no doubt Gov. Ron DeSantis will sign House Bill 991 into law. What HB 991 Requires of Florida Voters HB 991…
Andrade Explains Why Session Ended Without a Budget
Florida’s legislative session has come and gone, and state lawmakers left Tallahassee without the one thing they’re constitutionally required to deliver: a balanced budget. State Rep. Alex Andrade (R-Pensacola) joined me on…
Gaetz: Legislature “Should Be Ashamed” Over Budget Stalemate
State Sen. Don Gaetz didn’t mince words this morning when asked about the Florida Legislature’s failure to produce a budget on time — calling it a “dysfunctional government” and saying no one…
Gaetz’s Penny Pinching Bill Headed to Govenor
Sen. Don Gaetz’s proposal that allows retailers to round up or down to the nearest nickel in some cash transactions as minting new pennies has been halted is headed to Gov. Ron…
Jolly Eyes Governor’s Mansion: “If the Election Were Tonight, We Might Win”
Former U.S. Rep. David Jolly stopped by Inweekly’s office to lay out his case for why he’s the Democrat best positioned to flip Florida’s governorship. Background: Escambia County Commissioner Lumon May is…
Florida Reins In E-Bikes, Pensacola Gets More Control
A bill that would put new rules on electric bicycle riders across Florida is heading to Gov. Ron DeSantis after passing both chambers of the Legislature without a single dissenting vote. Senate…
BCC Drama: Kohler apologizes and explains, while Hofberger defends
Commissioner Mike Kohler used his commissioner comments at the March 5 Escambia Board of County Commissioners meeting to publicly address his widely reported conflict with State Representative Michelle Salzman—offering both an apology…
