Florida's Latest News

Donald Trump backs Gov. DeSantis Special Session call after skepticism from Tallahassee Republicans

President-elect Donald Trump is weighing in on the debate regarding a Special Session called by Gov. Ron DeSantis, slated to start on Jan. 27.

“Thank you Ron, hopefully other Governors will follow,” Trump posted to Truth Social as he backed the call.

DeSantis explained his reasoning for a Special Session on social media, saying “officials in Florida will actively facilitate the Trump Administration’s policies against illegal immigration, and to do that we need to immediately set aside and approve the necessary funding and resources now.”

“As part of the special session I called for January 27, the week after President Trump is sworn in, I am calling on the legislature to appropriate funding for detention, relocation, transportation infrastructure, local law enforcement support, and everything else needed for Florida to carry out this mission,” he added.

But later on Monday, Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez joined in a memo questioning the timing and logistics of the Special Session call.

House panel vents frustrations over insurance cost drivers, accountability failures

The House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee is tackling homeowners insurance, with a panel discussion featuring cost drivers in the market, though it won’t lead to any immediate legislative action or consideration.

Experts and legislators bounced colloquial questions and answers off each other, with one takeaway being that the people voting on laws are as confused by the state’s insurance market as the homeowners subjected to it.

Early on, Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) Commissioner Mike Yaworsky noted that various ratings factors come into play, including age of home, type of roof, litigation history and claims history in a given home.

This vanilla preamble quickly led to spicier questions and proclamations, with legislators of both parties asking tough questions about the market and voicing frustrations about fixes being fruitless to this point for many consumers.

Florida state senator introduces bill to prohibit undocumented students from attending colleges, universities

A Florida state senator introduced a bill Tuesday that, if passed, would prohibit colleges and universities from accepting applications or admitting undocumented students.

Florida State Sen. Randy Fine, R-Melbourne Beach, introduced Senate Bill 244, which would specifically impact Florida College System institutions and state universities that meet certain criteria.

Fine called the bill “SB 90 2.0,” since it would add to the recently introduced Senate Bill 90, which would repeal a decade-old law that allows some undocumented immigrant students, known as “Dreamers,” to receive in-state tuition rates at Florida universities and colleges.

“I had had a constituent come up to me and say, ‘That’s great. But if my kid wants to go to the University of Florida, why should they lose that seat to an illegal immigrant?’” Fine said during a news conference Tuesday.

SB 244 would apply to a “Florida College System institution or a state university with an acceptance rate less than 85 percent.”

“It will say that any university that has more demand than it has spaces can no longer accept illegal immigrants at all,” Fine said.

Floridians Set to Control House Foreign Affairs Committee

Representatives Cory Mills (R-FL) and Maria-Elvira Salazar (R-FL), under the direction of Representative Brian Mast (R-FL), have been selected as subcommittee chairs for their respective subcommittees within the House Foreign Affairs committee. 

The slate grants Floridian lawmakers control over nearly one third of the subcommittees of a committee already led by a Floridian lawmaker: Representative Mast. 

Representative Salazar will head the subcommittee on Western Hemisphere while Representative Mills will direct the subcommittee on Oversight and Intelligence. 

“I’m excited to work with these patriots to make sure every dollar and every diplomat puts America FIRST,” said Mast when presenting the newly selected subcommittee chairs. 

Salazar cited her home district of Miami as being inextricably intertwined with the Americas and professed she would use her leadership role to prioritize America’s interests in the region. 

“Miami is the gateway to the Americas: what happens in Latin America affects us closely in the US,” said Salazar. “I look forward to joining Representative Brian Mast in putting “America First” in our foreign policy, starting with building strong alliances in the region.”