Florida's Latest News

Kathleen Passidomo expects social media bill veto, compromise with Ron DeSantis to pass quickly

Senate President Kathleen Passidomo confirmed lawmakers are preparing a new social media bill as Gov. Ron DeSantis prepared to veto one already passed. Passidomo said negotiations are already underway between Speaker Paul Renner and DeSantis regarding restrictions on social media for children under age 16.

“Both the Speaker and the Governor are working together on language that will work for them to basically fix the concerns that the Governor has with HB 1,” Passidomo said. “And my understanding is that they are in a really good spot.”

The Florida Legislature passed HB 1, a top priority of the Speaker, earlier this month. But DeSantis has maintained concerns about cutting parents out of the decision whether to allow children online.

He has noted federal law bars anyone under 13 from opening social media accounts, and he might support state enforcement of that restriction. But the law passed by the Legislature would extend that through age 16.

Senate passes ban on sale of cultivated meat

Senators voted to make Florida the first state to ban the sale of lab-grown meat. But a majority rejected a proposal to put a five-year sunset on that restriction. As lawmakers debated an agriculture package (SB 1084) on the floor, Republican Sen. Jay Collins said he doesn’t think cultured meat products will be ready for consumption anytime soon.

“We need more time than five years,” the Tampa Republican said.

The measure ultimately passed on a 26-10 vote, but only after a few delays to work out concerns elsewhere in the legislative package. All votes against the bill came from Democrats. But Senators did approve a Democratic amendment establishing rule-making authority in a preemption of local regulations on electric vehicle charging stations.

But the bulk of debate surrounded the ban on cellular agriculture. Republicans in the House and Senate did agree to allow scientific research in the burgeoning field. That should allow Florida programs already in place at NASA and multiple state universities to continue.

‘Taking a proactive stance’: Legislature approves definition of antisemitism in state Statutes

Both chambers voted unanimously. Florida Statutes will soon have a broadly applying definition for antisemitism that state lawmakers uniformly agreed upon.

House members voted 115-0 for a bill (HB 187) providing that Florida defines antisemitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews,” and rhetorical and manifestations of such hatred “directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals, their property, community institutions and religious facilities.”

The measure, which Senators passed 40-0 Wednesday before sending it to the House for approval the following day, includes 11 examples of antisemitism that line up with its definition. They include “dehumanizing” stereotypes that Jews control industries and government, “demonizing” symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism such as blood libel, Holocaust denial, and double standards when criticizing Israel, the only Jewish-majority country.

But the bill explicitly provides that the term “antisemitism” does not apply to criticism of Israel that is similar to criticism of any other country. It also states that the measure “may not be construed to diminish or infringe upon any right protected under the First Amendment … or to conflict with federal or state antidiscrimination laws.”

Bill lowering gun purchasing minimum age to 18 moving through House despite Senate resistance

Democrats voiced opposition to changing the law, which had been enacted after the Parkland shooting. The House gave a second reading to a bill (HB 1223) that would reverse gun control rules enacted after the Parkland shooting by lowering the minimum age to buy a gun from 21 to 18. But the Senate has already made clear these changes are dead on arrival.

Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani, who lives in Orlando — which had its own mass shooting in 2016 at the Pulse nightclub — lamented the fact that the House is continuing to push to undo parts of the bipartisan law passed after Parkland.

“I was very proud of this Legislature for coming together and supporting these measures, many of which, on both sides of the aisle, took political risk to do so,” Eskamani said. “I just can’t fathom the idea of regressing on this issue.”

But bill sponsor Rep. Bobby Payne, a Palatka Republican, argued that banning 18-year-olds from buying shotguns and rifles was unconstitutional since those teenagers can be charged as adults with felonies, sign contracts or join the military. They should be allowed to purchase guns too, he said.