Florida's Latest News

‘De facto frontrunner’: DeSantis’ $200 million haul positions him for 2024 run

After personally receiving a $10 million check from real estate mogul Robert Bigelow in Las Vegas in July, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was so astounded by the huge donation that he held onto the check during his long return flight to Florida.

Once he landed, DeSantis told a member of his finance team to drive the check to the Tampa offices of Robert and Nancy Watkins, who serve as chair and treasurer for his political committee, Friends of Ron DeSantis, according to three people familiar with the story.

In giving DeSantis $10 million, Bigelow, who owns Budget Suites of America, wrote the largest single campaign check in Florida political history — but it’s just a fraction of the overall record-shattering haul DeSantis has raised during the 2022 cycle.

Between his direct campaign and the aligned political committee, donors big and small have given DeSantis more than $200 million for his reelection bid, a staggering sum that is likely the most raised by any gubernatorial candidate in American history.

As clocks fall back, permanent daylight saving bill remains stalled in Congress

In March, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill that would have done away with biannual clock changes by making daylight saving time permanent. 

Despite initial enthusiasm from some House members, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and as Americans prepare to wind their clocks back this weekend, the legislation is stuck in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. 

If it is not passed in the next two months, it will die when the current Congress ends and then need to be reintroduced.

In a statement to Spectrum News, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., chairman of the House committee, said, “We haven’t been able to find consensus in the House on this yet.”

Florida’s September revenues beat expectations by $470M

Florida brought in more than $470 million more in revenues than expected in September, the largest number since the start of the fiscal year in July.

The September revenue report, released Tuesday, reflects economic activity during the month of August and wasn’t affected by Hurricane Ian, which hit Southwest Florida on Sept. 28. It shows Florida brought in $4.07 billion, or $471.2 million more than economists projected.

The large figure is a return to earlier in 2022 when inflation shot up nationwide, pushing up revenues from sales taxes, upon which Florida is heavily reliant, and monthly reports showed the state beating previous forecasts built upon lower inflation figures by hundreds of millions of dollars.

Jacksonville’s ‘remedy’ redistricting map is ready for full City Council vote

A Jacksonville City Council Special Committee continued its second try at redistricting, refining a map Thursday with an attempt to set up the full Council to consider it Friday morning.

But the discussion was heated at times and outstanding issues remain, even as the committee moved the redistricting plan forward.

Jacksonville passed a redistricting map earlier this year to be effective in next year’s elections, but a federal judge struck it down, citing a lack of compactness and an “unnecessary racial segregation” throughout areas North and West of the St. Johns River.

The appellate process continues, but the Council faces a hard Nov. 8 deadline for a “remedy” map, and committee passage is essential to keep that on track.