Florida's Latest News

Senate passes bill cracking down on illegal immigration, ending Dreamers’ in-state tuition

Without the waivers, the undocumented students’ tuition rate would be tripled or quadrupled to out-of-state rates. The Senate has passed a deal on immigration enforcement, ending a stalemate within the GOP and rejecting complaints from Democrats.

Senate Republicans were unmoved by Democrats’ pleas to protect Dreamers, who would lose their in-state tuition starting next school year under the bill. The Senate gave a third reading Thursday during a Special Session to an immigration bill (SB 2C) co-sponsored by Republican Sens. Joe Gruters and Randy Fine that primarily deals with law enforcement, the criminal justice system and the state’s efforts to work with the federal government to crack down on illegal immigration.

The measure appropriates $250 million for law enforcement and gives the power to oversee immigration to a new state board that Gov. Ron DeSantis, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and others would serve on, as a compromise between DeSantis and the Legislature. “I’m all for it. Let’s jack it up,” said Democratic Sen. Jason Pizzo about ramping up enforcement during Thursday’s debate.

Under the bill, DeSantis, Simpson, the Chief Financial Officer, the Attorney General and law enforcement officials would serve on the eight-member Immigration Enforcement Council to coordinate with the federal government on immigration. Deciding who would be in charge of overseeing immigration had been a source of contention between DeSantis and Simpson.

Former Speaker Paul Renner appointed to universities’ Board of Governors

The Northeast Florida Republican has a new role. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the selection of former House Speaker Paul Renner to the Board of Governors on Wednesday, where he is poised to help oversee the operation and management of state universities.

Renner joins former Speaker Jose Oliva and former lawmaker Manny Diaz Jr. as former legislators on the board. DeSantis and Renner had a strong relationship throughout their shared time in politics, with Renner representing the Palm Coast area that was also included in the Congressional district DeSantis served before running for Governor in 2018.

During an interview while he was in the Florida House, Renner said they had an “excellent” relationship, with the Governor’s legislative background helping to bolster that. “Coming from [Congress], he understands that we’re all in this together,” he told Florida Politics.

Renner served in the Legislature for nine years after winning a special election in 2015. The GOP lawmaker represented part of Northeast Florida. A Navy veteran and former state prosecutor, Renner is currently of counsel for Nelson Mullins. In that role, he deals with a wide range of commercial litigation matters and also offers advice to clients on election law.

DeSantis floats “Boating Freedom” initiative and fuel tax holiday

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a pair of policy initiatives on Wednesday, including a ‘Boating Freedom Initiative’ and a marine fuel tax holiday designed to provide financial relief for boaters. The Boating Freedom Initiative seeks to preempt local regulations that restrict the use of gas-powered boats in Florida waters. The Governor stated that the proposal would ensure that boaters can continue using gas-powered vessels without interference from local ordinances limiting fuel types.

“You don’t need to be driving an electric boat if you don’t want to,” said DeSantis. “You have the ability to do gas. And we want to be able to preserve your freedom to be able to do that.” The initiative additionally aims to address the practice of law enforcement conducting vessel inspections without probable cause. Under current law, officers can stop boats for safety inspections without evidence of wrongdoing. DeSantis proposed prohibiting such inspections unless there is probable cause, noting that the initiative would help reduce unnecessary property searches and improve the relationship between law enforcement and the boating community.

A new Florida Freedom Boater Decal would be issued to vessels at registration, confirming compliance with safety requirements and potentially decreasing the need for random stops. “People who are just out enjoying themselves when there’s no indication that anything is wrong, they should not be subjected to these intensive searches,” the governor said. “This is a fair and balanced approach. If somebody’s breaking the law, they will be held accountable. But if you’re pulled over while you’re in a boat, it just has to be a reason. You can’t just do it for kicks. There’s got to be a reason.”

Florida sets new tourism record in 2024, welcoming 142.9 million visitors

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Wednesday that Florida set a new tourism record in 2024, welcoming 142.9 million visitors, surpassing previous records and marking the highest number of travelers in the state’s history. Nearly 30 million visitors traveled to Florida during the fourth quarter of 2024 alone, with close to 3 million of those being overseas travelers. DeSantis noted the role South Florida played in attracting international tourists, pointing to the region as a major hub for global visitors.

“That is a pretty good increase over 2023 that’s the highest on record, including almost 30 million in the fourth quarter alone, and almost 3 million overseas visitors,” said DeSantis. “And we know a lot of that is here in South Florida. So we’re really excited that our tourism industry is booming.”

The Governor attributed much of Florida’s tourism growth to the state’s open policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. He claimed that the state’s decision to remain open during the height of the pandemic led to an influx of people relocating from states with stricter COVID-19 measures, such as Illinois and New York. Many of these newcomers, according to DeSantis, purchased homes in Florida and embraced the state’s outdoor lifestyle.

“One of the things that was really important … was the fact that we were open during COVID,” he said. “Because what happened was you had people fleeing Illinois, New York, all these places where they had really draconian policies. So they come to Florida. A lot of them just bought houses and decided they’re going to live here.”