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Tag: Florida Legislature

  • House unanimously passes bill in response to Hope Florida saga

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    Florida State Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier talk during the first day of the legislative session at the Florida State Capitol on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Tallahassee, Fla.

    Florida State Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier talk during the first day of the legislative session at the Florida State Capitol on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Tallahassee, Fla.


    Photo by Matias J. Ocner

    mocner@miamiherald.com

    Tallahassee

    The Florida House on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill that would prohibit the diversion of money to a third party in a state settlement— a direct response to the DeSantis administration’s maneuvering during the 2024 election.

    Rep. Alex Andrade, a Republican Pensacola lawyer who runs the House budget committee, filed the bill, HB 593. He used his committee last year to investigate how the DeSantis administration secretly diverted $10 million from a $67 Medicaid settlement to the Hope Florida Foundation, with most of the money ending up in a political committee run by the governor’s chief of staff.

    The Legislature was never notified of the agreement, finalized in September of 2024 as Gov. Ron DeSantis was struggling to raise money for his campaign to defeat ballot initiatives that would have overturned the state’s six-week abortion ban and legalized recreational marijuana. Both failed despite receiving support from a majority of voters.

    After receiving the $10 million, the charity split the money between two “dark money” non-profits that aren’t required to disclose their donors. Those groups then gave most of the money to a political committee controlled by DeSantis’ chief of staff, James Uthmeier, whom the governor later appointed as attorney general. Uthmeier has denied wrongdoing and claimed victory in defeating the amendments. He has defended the ability to coordinate with outside groups while serving in the government.

    “The state was victorious,” Uthmeier told reporters earlier this month. “So, at the end of the day, I think it’s a good result.”

    Uthmeier has never answered questions directly about his involvement in overseeing the transactions, citing an ongoing grand jury deliberation on whether crimes were committed. In his final committee meeting about Hope Florida last April, Andrade accused Uthmeier and the charity’s attorney, Jeff Aaron, of engaging “in a conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud.”

    Andrade’s bill would make the diversion of the funds to a third party in a state settlement “an official definitive crime against the state,” he said on Wednesday before its passage. The bill requires the Legislature to get notice of settlements. It would go into effect in July and isn’t retroactive.

    “We have public officials who don’t feel obligated to act transparently, and don’t have any concerns about shaving funds owed to the state off the top, and then diverting them to their own intended uses,” Andrade said. “If we don’t know what statewide settlements are happening on a day-to-day basis, I feel like that’s a significant vulnerability.”

    The bill would also prohibit someone from using their official capacity to politically fundraise. Andrade said that provision was in a similar bill last year, meaning it wasn’t related to his Hope Florida probe, which began after the Herald/Times reported on issues with the program and charity last March.

    Andrade is in his final year in office due to term limits. He acknowledged the Senate doesn’t seem interested in passing the bill in its chamber, where similar legislation has never been heard. The Senate president and DeSantis are political allies while the House speaker is estranged after Andrade’s investigation into the Hope Florida saga and conflicts about how best to cut taxes.

    “This legislation is absolutely necessary,” Andrade said. “If it is not passed in both chambers this year, my hope is that it comes back next year, because it’s a concern.”

    House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, a Tampa Democrat, thanked Andrade for his “good bill,” particularly the provision that would require agencies to notify legislative leaders, like her, of a settlement, in writing, 10 days after it is signed.

    “When I became aware of Hope Florida, I went back through my records, because actually, as minority leader, I’m entitled to receive notification of settlements with the state,” Driskell said. “But there was none, and there has been no accountability for that.”

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    Alexandra Glorioso

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  • DeSantis’ expiring $4.7B emergency fund gets Senate support amid spending scrutiny

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    A view inside the Florida Capitol’s rotunda near the main entrance a day before the start of the legislative session on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Tallahassee, Fla.

    A view inside the Florida Capitol’s rotunda near the main entrance a day before the start of the legislative session on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Tallahassee, Fla.


    Photo by Matias J. Ocner

    mocner@miamiherald.com

    Tallahassee

    Senate Republicans moved Wednesday to renew a multibillion-dollar emergency fund that has quietly become one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ most flexible spending tools, brushing aside Democrats’ attempts to tighten oversight amid revelations that hundreds of millions have gone toward immigration enforcement.

    In a 29-10 vote, mostly along party lines, the Senate approved legislation extending the state’s Emergency Preparedness and Response fund through 2027 — a move GOP leaders say is essential for disaster readiness but critics argue effectively renews a blank check for the governor.

    The vote sets up a time crunch in the Legislature before the fund expires on Monday. While the Senate has acted, the House has yet to schedule a hearing on its version of the bill, leaving the future of the account uncertain just days before the deadline. If lawmakers fail to act, remaining money would revert to the state’s general fund and DeSantis would lose immediate access to one of his most expansive emergency spending authorities.

    Established by the Legislature with bipartisan support in 2022 as a rapid-response reserve for hurricanes and other disasters, the fund has taken on new political weight amid the governor’s ongoing campaign against illegal immigration. State records show the fund has ballooned into a $4.7 billion warchest that allows the governor to spend without prior legislative approval during declared states of emergency.

    But its use has expanded far beyond storm recovery.

    The DeSantis administration recently revealed that roughly $573 million has been spent from the account on immigration enforcement since 2023, including about $405 million in just the past six months. The spending — tied to the state’s ongoing immigration crackdown and detention operations — included private jet flights and restaurant expenses connected to enforcement efforts, according to state records.

    Administration officials say much of the cost will ultimately be reimbursed by the federal government — a claim that has drawn skepticism from Democratic lawmakers and even some Republicans wary of relying on uncertain federal payments.

    DeSantis had renewed his January 2023 immigration emergency declaration 20 times, paving the way for him to tap into the fund without the Legislature’s signoff. That standing emergency has turned what was designed as a disaster relief account into a central front in the Legislature’s simmering power struggle with the governor.

    Democrats push for guardrails — and lose

    Senate Democrats on Wednesday tried unsuccessfully to attach new guardrails to the reauthorization bill, including a requirement that the Legislature’s Joint Budget Commission give the green light if emergency funds are repeatedly used for non-natural disasters such as immigration enforcement.

    The amendment’s sponsor, Senate Minority Leader Lori Berman, D-Boca Raton, said she supports the governor’s ability to respond quickly to hurricanes and other disasters but opposed what she described as offering a “blank check” to the executive branch.

    Democrats also seized on newly disclosed food and travel costs tied to its immigration operations. Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, an Orlando Democrat, criticized what he described as runaway spending on an “extreme immigration-deportation regime that has terrorized our communities — that has not operated as it was built to be targeting the worst-of-the-worst violent criminals.”

    Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Democrat-turned-independent representing parts of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, questioned diverting hundreds of millions that could have funded local priorities.

    “I don’t know how many times you have to extend an emergency until it’s not really an emergency anymore,” Pizzo said. “A dollar spent in my district is an investment in the future of Florida; a dollar spent on anything else is an ego experiment with no guarantee of reimbursement.”

    Republicans rejected the amendment, warning that altering the GOP’s bill could complicate negotiations with the House or the governor and risk letting the fund lapse entirely.

    “Are you willing to take that risk?” asked Sen. Ed Hooper, a Clearwater Republican and chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations. “That [the House] may be mad at us? That the governor may be mad at somebody and doesn’t want to deal with that amendment? I am not.”

    Hooper added extending the fund unchanged ensures Florida can respond to disasters through 2027 and gives lawmakers time to revisit oversight later. He also questioned whether the Joint Budget Commission could act quickly enough to approve spending during emergencies.

    The Senate vote now places pressure squarely on House leaders, who have yet to move their version of the bill despite the looming expiration date. If lawmakers fail to act, Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie has warned that the state would revert to what DeSantis and past governors did: spend at a deficit and ask the Legislature for the money.

    Asked about the House’s inaction, Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, told reporters after the vote that “there’s still ample time” for discussions.

    “The goal,” Albritton said, “is to get the trust fund reinstated so we don’t find ourselves in some kind of forced jeopardy this summer with what may happen.”

    This story was originally published February 11, 2026 at 8:55 PM.

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    Garrett Shanley

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  • Your life could change with new Florida laws. Track them in the Legislature

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    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers his State of the State address during the first day of the legislative session at the Florida State Capitol on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Tallahassee, Florida.

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers his State of the State address during the first day of the legislative session at the Florida State Capitol on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Tallahassee, Florida.


    Photo by Matias J. Ocner

    mocner@miamiherald.com

    Tuesday is opening day for the Florida Legislature. Ready to keep up with all the lawmaking?

    Expect a flurry of bills making their way through the state House of Representatives and the Senate. Many, if adopted and signed into law, could change the way Florida’s 23 million people live.

    Among the expected discussion points as the Legislature reconvenes on Jan. 13: a bill that would alter how Floridians register their cars. It’s backed by Miami Lakes Rep. Tom Fabricio and Doral Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, and championed by Miami-Dade Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez and Gov. Ron DeSantis. Senate Bill 982 would keep yearly registration fees but eliminate physical stickers, moving Florida to an electronic system July 1.

    There could be a change with vehicle registration and those familiar yellow stickers in Florida
    There could be a change with vehicle registration and those familiar yellow stickers in Florida Howard Cohen hcohen@miamiherald.com

    MORE: Daniel Perez rattled Tallahassee. What will he do in year two as House Speaker?

    There’s also a revamped bill from Florida state Sen. Nick DiCeglie of St. Petersburg that could restore some local control over development.

    The decisions made in Tallahassee, are argued about in South Florida, at your neighborhood diner, at work when the bosses aren’t listening, and with family over the dinner table. For instance, during last year’s lesgilative session, lawmakers voted to ban local governments from adding fluoride to water supplies.

    Every year, the state Legislature meets for its 60-day session. During even-numbered years, like 2026, the session starts in January and in odd-numbersd years in March.

    Here is a guide to help you keep up with all the action:

    READ MORE: Five things to watch in Florida politics in 2026

    Who are the players?

    State senators and representatives are elected to represent Florida in designated districts. Senators serve four-year terms and representatives two-year terms.

    There are 40 senators and 120 state reps in Florida.

    How a bill becomes a law

    A chart showing the routes a bill may take as it moves its way the Florida Legislature. A bill may originate in either house. This example shows one originating in the Senate.
    A chart showing the routes a bill may take as it moves its way the Florida Legislature. A bill may originate in either house. This example shows one originating in the Senate. Office of the Secretary of the Senate

    Bills are filed in either chamber, House or Senate, meaning representatives and senators can put their ideas forth for consideration during the 60-day session.

    When a bill is filed, it gets reviewed by several smaller committees of legislators. The public and those the bill will affect can also comment and hope to fine-tune it to better serve their needs.

    Bills can be tracked by signing up on Florida’s legislative sites at either www.myfloridahouse.gov or https://www.flsenate.gov/Tracker.

    Committees can approve, defeat or amend a bill. If the bill is defeated in the committee process, that’s it, the bill is dead for the rest of session. If the text of the bill is revived as an amendment to another bill, it has to be substantially different than the language that was struck down or the amendment can be challenged as violating the rules.

    Otherwise, the bill is brought before the full chamber of the House and Senate for voting. The bill can bounce back and forth between the two houses like a pinball to reach a consensus and a final version.

    READ MORE: New Florida consumer laws went into effect on Jan. 1 — how they may affect you

    What must happen for a bill to become law

    • When the majority of the votes in each chamber, House and Senate, say yes: The bill can advance to the governor. But it has to pass before both chambers before it can become a law.
    • The bill is in the governor’s hands? The governor can sign it and it becomes law. The governor can also allow it to become a law without a signature. Or, the governor can veto.
    • If vetoed, the Legislature can vote to overturn the governor’s decision, but it would take a two-thirds vote of both the House and Senate. Last year, for example, 1,959 bills were filed and 269 bills passed during Florida’s 2025 legislative session, according to the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
    • The bill has to go through all of the processes before the end of the 60-day session. If it does not, the bill dies and would have to undergo all the steps from scratch at another year’s session or in an overtime session.

    One bill they better pass? The state’s budget. That bill has to pass annually by the time the session ends — this year on March 13.

    How to track a bill

    Head over to Flsenate.gov and its Tracker Help page. You can sign up there for a free Senate Tracker account by filling in a few questions such as your name and email. You will be asked to create a password.

    It’s relatively easy to track a bill as it makes its way through the legislative process. Every filed bill has a web page link with current information about the bill and links to official documents associated with that bill.

    Once you have an account, you can then track bills throughout the website, view updates on the Tracker tab and receive email notifications — if you opt to receive them.

    A Senate Tracker account also lets you track committees, senators, publications, press releases and other associated items.

    The Florida House of Representatives also has a tracker page at myfloridahouse.gov that functions similarly and lets you track bills, representatives, committees and schedules.

    How to watch the legislative process

    Can’t make it to Tallahassee to watch the Florida Legislature conduct its business? The Florida Channel livestreams coverage at thefloridachannel.org.

    How to follow Miami Herald coverage

    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks with reporters after delivering his State of the State address during the first day of the legislative session at the Florida State Capitol on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Tallahassee, Fla.
    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks with reporters after delivering his State of the State address during the first day of the legislative session at the Florida State Capitol on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Tallahassee, Fla. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com

    Miami Herald reporters and our Tallahassee team cover the session’s start to finish and beyond. Because once these bills are passed into state law — or fail to pass — you’re affected.

    Follow Florida Politics on the Herald’s home page at www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics.

    Howard Cohen

    Miami Herald

    Miami Herald consumer trends reporter Howard Cohen, a 2017 Media Excellence Awards winner, has covered pop music, theater, health and fitness, obituaries, municipal government, breaking news and general assignment. He started his career in the Features department at the Miami Herald in 1991. Cohen is an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Communication.
    Support my work with a digital subscription

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    Howard Cohen

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  • Florida bill would impose timelines for governor to set special election dates

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    Credit: Shutterstock

    Because of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ delay in announcing special election dates to fill two vacancies in the Florida Legislature, voters in parts of Palm Beach and Hillsborough counties will not have representation in Tallahassee when the regular legislative session begins in January.

    That situation could not occur under a bill filed in the Florida Senate on Wednesday.

    The proposal (SB 460) by Democratic Sen. Tina Polsky, who represents parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, says that whenever there is a vacancy for which a special election is required, the governor would be required to fix the dates of a special primary and general election within 14 days after the vacancy occurs.

    The bill also says that if a vacancy occurs in the office of a member of the Senate or House less than 126 days before the first day of the regular legislative session, the governor must within five days set those election dates. The dates set must provide for at least two weeks between the special primary election and special general election and “must ensure that both elections are held before the first day of the regular legislative session to prevent a lapse in representation.”

    The measure says that if the governor fails to set those election dates in the time proscribed, “any qualified elector” living in the affected district may file a petition in circuit court to set those election dates.

    DeSantis selected then-state Sen. Jay Collins from Florida’s Senate District 14 to become his lieutenant governor on Aug. 12. He did not announce the special election dates to choose his successor until Oct. 24, some 73 days later.

    The governor selected Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Palm Beach, to serve as the Palm Beach Clerk of the County Court on Aug. 18. He did not announce the special election dates for Caruso’s House District 87 seat until Oct. 24, 67 days after the seat became vacant.

    In both cases, the primary elections are set for Jan. 13, 2026, the day the 2026 regular legislative starts. The special elections in both districts are scheduled for March 24, 2026. That’s more than a week after the session is scheduled to conclude on March 13.

    The ACLU of Florida filed a lawsuit in late September regarding the governor’s failure at that point to announce election dates for the Senate District 14 seat.

    “I’m not sure why the governor proves himself repeatedly unwilling to call timely special elections,” said Nicholas Warren, staff attorney for the ACLU of Florida, in a press release issued on Sept. 30. “His predecessors like Jeb Bush and Rick Scott always acted swiftly to ensure citizens retained their voice in government. Governor DeSantis’ refusal to follow their example is not just concerning, it’s also against the law.”

    The civil liberties group filed a lawsuit on behalf of Santa Rosa and Brevard county voters in January, after state Rep. Joel Rudman and state Sen. Randy Fine vacated their seats to run for Congress. The lawsuit noted that DeSantis had not set special election dates more than six weeks after the lawmakers announced their resignations.

    A House companion to Polsky’s measure has not yet been introduced.

    Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Contact Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.

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    Critics described the Heritage Foundation declaration as promoting indoctrination

    Doctors say 7-OH acts on the same parts of the brain and is as addictive as opioids

    Uthmeier called the touring show “openly anti-Christian,” expressing his concern it would result in religious discrimination.



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    Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
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  • Florida will appeal ruling after judge says state can’t enforce pronoun law against teacher

    Florida will appeal ruling after judge says state can’t enforce pronoun law against teacher

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    Lawyers for state education officials on Thursday filed a notice that they will appeal a court ruling that blocked enforcement of a 2023 law requiring a transgender teacher to use pronouns that align with her sex assigned at birth.

    The 2023 law restricts educators’ use of personal pronouns and titles in schools. Katie Wood, a transgender Hillsborough County teacher, and AV Schwandes, a nonbinary teacher fired last year by Florida Virtual School, sought preliminary injunctions as part of a lawsuit challenging the restrictions.

    The challenge alleged the law violates the teachers’ First Amendment rights and runs afoul of a federal civil-rights law. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker on April 9 issued a preliminary injunction blocking state education officials from enforcing the law against Wood, but the injunction does not apply statewide.

    Attorneys for the Florida Department of Education and other defendants had asked Walker to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the Legislature has discretion to “promote the state’s pedagogical goals and vindicate parental rights.”

    Thursday’s notice by the defendants’ attorneys did not provide details of the appeal filed at the Atlanta-based U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, as is typical in such instances. Walker’s decision, which also denied a preliminary injunction request by Schwandes, said that the law violated the First Amendment.

    “This time, the state of Florida declares that it has the absolute authority to redefine your identity if you choose to teach in a public school. So, the question before this court is whether the First Amendment permits the state to dictate, without limitation, how public-school teachers refer to themselves when communicating to students. The answer is a thunderous ‘no,’” the judge wrote.

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    News Service of Florida

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  • Tampa Democrat Ashley Brundage aims to become Florida’s first transgender member of state Legislature

    Tampa Democrat Ashley Brundage aims to become Florida’s first transgender member of state Legislature

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    Photo via Ashley Brundage for Florida/Facebook

    Democrat Ashley Brundage this week opened a campaign account to run for a Hillsborough County seat in the state House and to try to become the first transgender member of the Legislature.

    Brundage filed the paperwork to run in House District 65, which is held by Rep. Karen Gonzalez Pittman, R-Tampa, according to the state Division of Elections website.

    Gonzalez Pittman is running for re-election in November and had raised $154,189 for her campaign as of March 31, according to a newly filed finance report. Democrat Nathan Albert Kuipers also has opened an account and had raised $11,527.

    The Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis have approved a series of measures in recent years targeting transgender people. LPAC, a national organization that helps LGBTQ women and nonbinary candidates, issued a statement Friday supporting Brundage’s campaign.

    “In the face of relentless anti-LGBTQ legislation in Florida, Ashley Brundage’s voice is not just important — it’s essential,” Janelle Perez, LPAC’s executive director, said in a prepared statement. “We are witnessing an unprecedented wave of policies that undermine the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ Floridians.”

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  • Florida passes bill to compensate victims of decades-old reform school abuse

    Florida passes bill to compensate victims of decades-old reform school abuse

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    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Restitution for decades of abuse at two now-shuttered reform schools where boys were beaten, raped and killed is now in the hands of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis after the Senate unanimously passed a bill Monday to set aside $20 million for victims.

    The bill creates a process for former inmates at the Dozier School for Boys in Marianna and the Florida School for Boys at Okeechobee to make claims over physical, mental or sexual abuse between 1940 and 1975. It’s estimated that victims will receive about $50,000 each.

    “It’s been too long,” said state Sen. Darryl Rouson, the Democrat who sponsored the bill. “This is but a small token for a vast ocean of hurt, but it’s what we can do now.”

    As he spoke, a group of about 20 victims stood in the Senate public gallery, one wiping tears from his eyes.

    “Thank you for never giving up. Thank you for continuing to fight. Thank you telling the story and the stories of those who are not here and can’t speak. We salute your presence today,” Rouson continued.

    A group known as The White House Boys, named for the white cinderblock building at Dozier where boys were taken and hit with a long leather strap, have spent years trying to get recognition for the abuse. Nearly 100 boys died between 1900 and 1973 at Dozier and the University of South Florida spent four years exhuming remains from 55 unmarked graves in overgrown woods on the school’s property.

    The Legislature formally apologized for the abuse seven years ago, but Rouson kept seeking restitution, filing bills that failed in past years to compensate the men.

    “Money doesn’t heal or pay for a lot or erase the mistakes of the past, but it sure does help,” said state Sen. Tracie Davis, a Democrat who sponsored similar legislation when she was in the House. “It sure does help to be able to get the resources and the help you need at 70 or 80 years old to end your days better than they started.”

    Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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    Brendan Farrington, Associated Press

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  • Weekly Dirt: Changes to Florida’s Affordable Housing Law Clear Hurdle

    Weekly Dirt: Changes to Florida’s Affordable Housing Law Clear Hurdle

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    The Florida Senate passed amendments to the Live Local Act, which are expected to be approved by the House next. Let’s break them down. 

    Live Local, signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year, created major zoning incentives for developers that set aside housing for people making up to 120 percent of the area median income, and allocated hundreds of millions of dollars for affordable housing. 

    Senate Bill 328 and the matching House Bill 1239 clarify the state’s preemption of local zoning laws, maximum building heights and tax exemptions. If and when the bills become law, attorneys expect that more developers will file applications for affordable, workforce and mixed-income housing projects. 

    The legislation creates height protections for single-family neighborhoods, and eliminates parking requirements for some transit-oriented projects filed under Live Local, according to attorney Anthony De Yurre’s analysis. 

    De Yurre, a partner at Bilzin Sumberg, tells me that the parking requirements are “the biggest challenge to workforce housing.” Requirements would be reduced by 20 percent if a Live Local project is within half a mile of a major transportation hub and parking exists within 600 feet. If the project is within a transit-oriented development area, the requirements would be eliminated. 

    The latest versions of the bills clarify that properties zoned for industrial projects qualify for Live Local incentives. When proposed in January, the legislation, sponsored by Sen. Alexis Calatayud and Rep. Vicki Lopez, sought to exclude industrial sites. The original amendments also sought to cap heights of Live Local projects up to the height of existing buildings within a quarter mile, but that was nixed. The distance used can be up to 1 mile, with the exception of sites abutting single-family zoning.

    The bills require local municipalities to maintain guidelines for administrative approval on their websites. Some municipalities have sought ways around the legislation because it supersedes local zoning and height restrictions. 

    In terms of clarifying, the bills add a preemption that floor area ratio, also known as the size of a project in relation to the site, can be up to 150 percent of the floor area ratio in that city and county. Municipalities would also be blocked from restricting unit density to the maximum of what is currently allowed in that city and county. 

    De Yurre, who is working with clients on Live Local projects ranging from 80 units to 2,000 units,  said the House could vote on the bill within a couple of weeks. Then it would head to the governor for his signature. 

    What we’re thinking about: The Justice Department is reportedly investigating New York and South Florida broker Brandon Charnas as part of a larger insider trading probe that could include Fontainebleau Development President Brett Mufson. Do you have any knowledge of the investigation? Send me a note at kk@therealdeal.com. 

    CLOSING TIME 

    Residential: Oleg Movchan, CEO of an investment management software company, and Beata Vaynberg sold their waterfront Boca Raton estate at 5001 Egret Point Circle for a record $29 million. The couple sold the nearly 14,900-square-foot mansion, with nine bedrooms, eight bathrooms and two half-bathrooms, to a hidden buyer. 

    Commercial: Joined Development Partners paid $21.9 million for the Section 8 multifamily complex at 2050 Northwest 64th Street in Miami’s Liberty City. Southport Financial Services sold the 8-acre, 214-unit community. 

    — Research by Adam Farence

    NEW TO THE MARKET 

    Dawn McKenna Group/Coldwell Banker Realty

    The family of late financier John Donahue listed his Naples compound for $295 million, marking the most expensive residential listing in the U.S. The 9-acre estate, known as Gordon Pointe, is on the market with Dawn McKenna of Coldwell Banker in partnership with Leighton Candler of the Corcoran Group and Savills’ Rory McMullen. The property includes three houses, 1,650 feet of waterfront and a 231-foot private yacht basin. 

    The existing record for residential sales in the country is held by billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin’s $238 million purchase of a Manhattan penthouse in 2019. 

    A thing we’ve learned 

    Nickelodeon will broadcast its own version of the Super Bowl. Special guests on the kid-friendly broadcast will include characters from shows such as “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Dora the Explorer,” according to CBS Sports. 

    Elsewhere in Florida 

    • The chief justice of Florida’s Supreme Court said he believes Florida voters “aren’t stupid” and would be able to understand a ballot initiative that looks to enshrine abortion protections in the state, Politico reports. Florida’s Attorney General Ashley Moody asked the state to block the proposed amendment. The coalition backing the amendment collected nearly 1 million state-certified signatures, surpassing the requirement to make it on the 2024 ballot. 
    • An energy bill moving through the Florida Legislature would delete most references to climate change in state law, repealing entire sections of existing legislation and reducing regulations on natural gas pipelines, according to the Orlando Sentinel. 
    • A small airplane crashed into a vehicle, killing at least two people. The fiery crash shut down I-75 near Naples on Friday afternoon. The plane was traveling from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio to Naples, USA Today reports. 

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    Katherine Kallergis

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  • Florida Senate drops the ball on their attempt to restrict flags with ‘political viewpoint’

    Florida Senate drops the ball on their attempt to restrict flags with ‘political viewpoint’

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    An effort to restrict what flags can be flown at schools and other public buildings flailed in the Florida Senate this week, after a key committee adjourned before members voted on the proposal.

    The measure (SB 1120) would prohibit government agencies, public schools, colleges and universities from flying any flag that “represents a political viewpoint” including any “politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint.”

    Debate surrounding the bill has focused heavily on the potential that it could bar LGBTQ pride flags at public buildings. Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, argued during Tuesday’s meeting of the Governmental Oversight Committee that prohibitions listed in the bill involve groups of people, not inherently political viewpoints.

    “Race, gender, sexual orientation, religion are not political unto themselves. So, we should be as inclusive as possible. Not exclusive,” Polsky said.

    Polsky’s comments, and those of numerous members of the public who opposed the bill, came hours after Gov. Ron DeSantis backed the measure.

    DeSantis said he had not seen the bill but signaled that he would support it.

    “If you take a position that, we’re going to fly the American flag and the state of Florida flag, and that’s it, it’s not targeting anybody. It’s basically saying that we’re not going to get into this business of doing this. So I think that’s totally fine,” the governor told reporters during an appearance in Orange City.

    “I don’t think you could say, you can fly any flag you want except one or two. Then I think that would be maybe content-based discrimination,” DeSantis added.

    A Senate staff analysis of the measure questioned prohibiting flags that represent a “political viewpoint.” The analysis appeared to point to potential confusion about what would actually be prohibited.

    “While the bill provides examples of what represents a ‘political viewpoint’ for purposes of the bill, it does not define the term. Similarly, while the bill clearly regulates governmental speech, which is not limited by First Amendment regulations, it is unclear where government speech (or that undertaken by a ‘governmental entity’) ends and private speech begins for purposes of this regulation,” the analysis said.

    The bill is in jeopardy in the Senate midway through the legislative session after it stalled in the Governmental Oversight Committee for the second time.

    “The committee is not scheduled to meet again,” Katie Betta, a spokeswoman for Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, said in an email. “If a bill remains in a committee that is no longer meeting, it is procedurally very difficult for the issue to advance.”

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  • Florida Gov. DeSantis embraces controversial bills, foreign trip

    Florida Gov. DeSantis embraces controversial bills, foreign trip

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    Florida Gov. DeSantis embraces controversial bills, foreign trip – CBS News


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    In the final days of the Florida state legislative session, Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to sign several conservative bills that could be a sneak peek at his platform for a potential 2024 Republican primary. These include a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, the ability for Florida residents to carry concealed guns without a permit and expansions to the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Ed O’Keefe reports from Tallahassee.

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  • Florida legislature debates bill to eliminate funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs on college campuses

    Florida legislature debates bill to eliminate funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs on college campuses

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    Miami — Kaily LaChapelle — a sophomore at Florida International University and the president of the school’s Pride Student Union — is afraid that Florida could do away with funding for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs on college campuses.

    Florida lawmakers are currently debating a bill that would eliminate state funding for such programs at public universities.

    “My initial reaction was scared, then I was angry,” LaChapelle told CBS News.

    The bill has the support of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.  

    “We will be the first state to wipe out DEI at our public universities,” DeSantis said last month. 

    In its current form, H.B. 999 does not prohibit university student groups, but it does prohibit state universities from using funds “to promote, support or maintain any programs or campus activities that advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

    Earlier this month, Florida students and faculty gave passionate public testimony on the issue before the state House Postsecondary Education and Workforce Subcommittee. The vast majority in attendance opposed eliminating the programs.

    And across the state, hundreds of students have organized walkouts, and marched and rallied in opposition.

    Nationally, at least four Republican-led states, including Texas, are following Florida’s lead and have taken action, or are considering it, at their public universities.

    Earlier this month, at a forum organized by the Florida governor’s office on DEI programs in state universities, Ray Rodrigues, the chancellor of the State University System of Florida, and Roger Tovar, the FIU vice chair, both sided with the governor.

    “We’re very interested in taking action,” Tovar said in the forum.

    FIU, which is one of the state’s largest schools with over 55,000 students, spends $3.1 million on DEI support groups, mentorship programs and clubs, including about $100,000 in scholarships, servicing thousands of students.

    “That is our community, that is where we find our family,” LaChapelle said. 

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