Florida's Latest News

This Republican is about to become Florida’s next House speaker. Who is he?

Rep. Paul Renner formally became the next speaker of the Florida House on Tuesday, as the Palm Coast Republican prepares to move into one of the most-powerful positions in the state after the 2022 elections.

Renner, an attorney who retired from the U.S. Navy as a commander, will succeed House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor.

Addressing House colleagues during a designation ceremony, Renner spoke of his time in the military and his religious upbringing as the son of a pastor and a school teacher. Renner emphasized that he wants to protect the Second Amendment and other freedoms and billed Florida Republicans as “the champions for ‘We the People.’”

Ron DeSantis Says Monoclonal Antibody Brought Florida COVID ER Visits Down 70 Percent

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has said that monoclonal antibody treatment is having a significant effect on COVID cases in his state, as he continues to lock horns with the Biden administration over the distribution of the therapy.

Along with other GOP governors, DeSantis has championed the treatment that lessens the severity of COVID symptoms, which he sees as a key pandemic-fighting policy, along with promoting vaccines.

However, DeSantis faces criticism for his opposition to mask mandates and has joined other GOP governors in threatening legal action to prevent the order announced by President Joe Biden to mandate vaccinations for workers at some companies.

Controversial confederate statue headed to Tallahassee, for now

A statue of Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith that stood in the U.S. Capitol for nearly a century as a representation of Florida will be moved to Tallahassee, but don’t expect the bronze likeness to be displayed publicly until a new home is found.

“The statute will be relocated and transported to the Museum of Florida History and we anticipate transferring the statue to another museum in the future to be made available for public display in Florida,” Florida Department of State spokesman Mark Ard said in an email Monday.

The statue, which was removed from the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 4, had served as one of Florida’s two representatives in the National Statuary Hall since 1922. The state’s other statue depicts John Gorrie, who is widely considered the father of air conditioning.

Florida permanently preserves 20,000 greenbelt acres

Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet approved spending $50 million on land preservation deals for seven parcels covering almost 20,000 acres.

The money comes from the Florida Forever program and the deals either preserve wilderness lands by limiting public access or allow ranching operations to continue with rules against development.

The move protects important water supplies and preserves linkages through the Florida Wildlife Corridor, the greenbelt network that runs the length of the state and aims to provide safe migration routes for the Florida Panther and other animals.