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Tag: Ybeth Bruzual

  • Biden urges lawmakers to pass border bill

    Biden urges lawmakers to pass border bill

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    President Joe Biden is urging lawmakers to pass a sweeping bipartisan border policy proposal that Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, oppose. Meanwhile, some Republicans in Tallahassee are looking for ways to ensure control over marijuana potency in the state.


    Biden urges lawmakers to pass border deal as Democrats slam DeSantis for State Guard deployment

    President Joe Biden is urging Congress to pass the bipartisan border proposal that appears all but dead.

    A deal struck by members of the Senate this weekend has quickly fallen apart amid opposition from Republicans, including former President Donald Trump.

    If passed into law, it would provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and give the president money and tools to help secure the border and speed up asylum claims.

    “With the new policies in this bill and the additional 4,300 asylum officers, who spend hours, I might add, with each immigrant to consider their claims whether they qualify. We’ll be able to reduce that process to six months, not five to seven years,” Biden said about the proposal.

    The bill was deemed dead on arrival by House Republican Leadership.

    The southern border came up in a Senate committee meeting Monday in Tallahassee during confirmation questioning of Mark Thieme, who Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed to lead the Florida State Guard.

    Central Florida Sen. Victor Torres laid out his concerns over sending the Florida Guard to Texas to assist with border enforcement.

    “Being deployed from this state, what we do we’re covered, and I want our men and women who are deployed to make sure that they are — the legality of the circumstance of being sent to another state — that they are protected,” Torres said. “I don’t want them to go over to another state and be caught in something that could be dangerous for them, or involved in some kind of shooting.”

    Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried posted on X, saying:

    “Republicans are an existential threat to our national security. They care more about using the fear of migrants coming into our country to help trump than actually solving the problem. It’s like a 2 yo who has been screaming for his pacifier & once he gets it he still screams because he just wants to scream.”

    On Jan. 31, DeSantis called on the Florida National Guard plus the Florida State Guard to, “Stop the invasion.”

    “Let’s all band together as states,” he said. “Let’s say that our borders matter. Let’s say that we’re going to support Texas in making sure we can stop what is happening to our country.”

    The governor is offering up to 1,000 members of the National Guard to support Operation Lone Star. He is mobilizing the Florida State Guard, too, making this the organization’s first deployment in state history.

    DeSantis said the forces will build barriers, throw down wire and establish barricades along the southern border.

    “The federal government is no longer protecting the states,” State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia said. “Not the state of Texas, but all the states. The states have a right to protect their citizens.”

    Lawmakers tackle marijuana potency ahead of amendment vote

    A new proposal can be seen as Florida’s first effort to get ahead of the potential legalization of recreational marijuana in the state.

    It’s no secret that some Republicans are opposed to legalized recreational marijuana in Florida, but others say while they can’t necessarily stop it, they can try to contain it.

    Before a vote is cast in November on a potential amendment, some Republicans are trying to a put caps on marijuana potency with Senate Bill 7050.

    State Sen. Gayle Harrell was worried about the possibility of marijuana soon hitting Florida markets.

    “There is no doubt that this high-potency cannabis has a real risk of psychosis for many, many people, especially young people,” Harrell said.

    Voters in November will probably decide the fate of recreational marijuana, as the amendment on the ballot, if approved, would let Floridians to freely posses and smoke marijuana.

    But under Tuesday’s Republican bill, lawmakers could limit just how strong that marijuana is.

    “The problem is, it feels like a preemptive strike to regulate a future ballot initiative,” said Will Clark of the Libertarian Party of Florida. “Is that really what we want to do? Gov. DeSantis says this is the free state of Florida.”

    There is, however, bipartisan concern. Some lawmakers are calling these caps arbitrary. Others, meanwhile, feel it may promote a black market.

    “With a cap, now maybe we push a consumer to push to go in a different direction to find something higher on a market that is not safe or legal,” State Sen. Tracie Davis said.

    This effort comes as the Florida Supreme Court considers whether recreational marijuana will appear on the November ballot. Attorney General Ashley Moody is trying to kill the amendment, saying it’s confusing to voters.

    Immigration backlog grows in Florida

    Florida ranks No. 1 in the backlog of immigration cases, according to federal data collected by Syracuse University. 

    The data show the U.S. court backlog of cases involving immigrants and asylum seekers is more than 3 million — 481,000 of which are in Florida.

    Tampa immigration attorney Milton Toro Marquez has worked with immigrants for the past seven years and handles more than 100 clients, with a case list growing fast — especially over the last couple of years.

    “It’s something that’s very stressful, and at the same time very rewarding,” Marquez said.

    Marquez believes the immigration system is broken and that cases can take years to get resolved because of backlogs.

    He said each case is unique, and that each has a story of escaping a rough life.

    “People are sexually violated on their way here, people are robbed, people are beaten on their way here,” Marquez said.

    However, Marquez said despite the growing caseload, the work is important since most of his clients fear returning to their home country.

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    Gary Darling

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  • Border Security considered in Washington

    Border Security considered in Washington

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    Lawmakers in Florida reacted to a border security proposal in Washington that also provides funding for Ukraine and Israel. Meanwhile, legislators in Tallahassee considered how to alter a social media restrictions proposal.  


    Florida lawmakers react to border security bill

    The Senate eyes a test vote for Wednesday on the long-awaited budget security bill.

    Senate negotiators released the legislation yesterday. It was put together by a bipartisan group of lawmakers to try to curb the flow of migrants while also passing funding for the wars in Ukraine and Israel.

    But House Republicans already say this bill is going nowhere. The bill would give President Joe Biden more power to restrict migrant crossings during surges, allowing the Department of Homeland Security to restrict border crossings if migrant encounters reach more than 4,000 in a one week span.

    The bill also changes the asylum system by raising the standard for who can apply and also speeds up the process.

    The bill would also mean billions of dollars in funding for both foreign aid and border security.

    The current proposal would allocate $60 billion in aid for the war-torn country of Ukraine, and $14 billion for aid to Israel.

    “We have a huge issue in this country on our southern border. You can’t be a country if you can’t maintain control of your own territory. And really, this has been going on for many, many years, but it’s never been this bad,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said about the proposal. “They have now unveiled a piece of legislation, and I think people are seeing what a farce it is. To say that you only shut the border down once 5,000 people a day come in illegally, which is about 2 million a year. That’s basically legalizing illegal immigration. And there are so many other things wrong with it, but I just think it’s taking a step back. This shows me the contempt these people in D.C. have for American taxpayers,”

    Both of Florida’s Republican Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio have come out against the legislation.

    Rubio called the legislation “an easy no.” He argued that Biden doesn’t need new laws to stop the migrant crisis.

    Scott criticized the bill for allowing some migrants to receive work permits more easily.

    Nationally, there’s division among Republicans in the Senate on this even as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is supporting it.

    There’s been more unity among Democrats supporting the proposal, but not all are on board.

    New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez says the bill would make it harder for asylum seekers to have their claims heard. He also said that Senate leaders haven’t provided enough time to review the 400 page package.

    Social media restrictions up for debate in the Florida Senate

    Florida lawmakers are working out how a proposed social media bill should be written to ensure that it can pass.

    A Senate subcommittee considered House Bill 1 Monday. If passed, the bill would require social media companies to verify how old people using their platforms are, and bans people under the age of 16 from using them.

    Florida House Speaker Paul Renner discussed the bill, and where the defining line is between allowing parents to regulate their children, and where the government steps in.

    “The vast majority of things, we want the parents to make those decisions,” he said. “It’s time to act. We can’t allow to lose our kids, or to have kids engage in self harm or spend their childhood in depression.”

    He also discussed proposed changes to the legislation so that it can be stronger and stand up to court challenges.

    “They have to meet certain criteria,” he said. “They are really not interested in pulling away from what would be a lucrative business.”

    Last week Gov. Ron DeSantis said he wants a pathway for the bill to withstand any legal challenges in court. But he also understands that could be an issue as the bill gets crafted in the state legislature.

    “Anything I do. I want a pathway for this to actually stick. So we’re going to look through that. So what I would say is I’m sympathetic to, as a parent, what’s going on with our youth,” DeSantis said. “But I also understand that to just say that, you know, someone that’s 15 just cannot have it no matter what, that may create some some legal issues. And so I told the speaker I’d work with them on it.

    “So I would say that, you know, this is something that’s likely going to evolve as it gets through the House and makes its way through the Senate. And we’ll see if we get a product that is going to be something that’s good. But I, I am concerned about the breadth of it, and I want to empower parents. I want to give parents tools to to be able to do this. And so I just think you got to be smart about how you do it.”

    Immigration bill could change some standards in Florida

    The clock is ticking for a bill being referred to as the “Welcoming Florida Act.” The bill was sponsored by State Sen. Victor Torres and is aimed at overturning some of the strict immigration laws put into place last session, but it needs to be heard before several committees before it can advance.

    Julia Aguayo de Hassler is no stranger to politics. Five years ago, she created the group known as the Libertad Club Hispano Republicano of Pasco County, which is a club aimed at educating people about the values of the Republican Party.

    “We meet the third Monday of every month, and we always invite people from our community,” she said.

    Members of the group also discuss legislation that they might not support. That’s the case with Senate Bill 1598.

    “It is important to realize there is a difference between the people that have been here for years and those people that this administration has let come by the thousands without properly being vetted,” she said.

    Bills like SB 1598 don’t help to strengthen the immigration system in the state, according to her.

    The bill would repeal provisions relating to patient status data collected by hospitals. It could also delete the requirement that an employer discontinues employing a person after learning that the person has no legal status in the state. 

    Those in favor of the bill say it is legislation that helps to combat last year’s immigration law, Senate Bill 1718.

    “What it does is it seems to clear up some misconceptions and probably some things that would have been challenged with SB 1718,” said Danielle Hernandez, founder of the DVH Law Group.

    Hernandez said last year’s law led the way to a town hall meeting to help educate the undocumented community about SB 1718.

    She said if SB 1598 is passed, it would be a is a step in the right direction toward protecting the immigrant community she serves.

    “This is an election year,” Hernandez said. “It’s also very important for people to understand what is coming in our laws.”

    SB 1598 is still in committee in the Florida Senate and has yet to see a vote that would advance it to the floor. 

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    Gary Darling

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  • Florida’s House Speaker discusses his legislative agenda

    Florida’s House Speaker discusses his legislative agenda

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    As the legislative session in Tallahassee nears its halfway point, lawmakers reflect on the success of their agenda. Meanwhile, Moms for Liberty takes center state at the State Capitol. 


    House Speaker Paul Renner discusses his legislative agenda

    Today was day 25 of the 60-day legislative session, which means we are just about halfway through the show. On the Senate side, the priorities have been health-related. We talked previously about Senate President Passidomo’s push for the Live Healthy Act.

    Senate Bills 7016 and 7018 both passed unanimously back on January 17. They are now “In messages” to the House, meaning that the bills are in a holding pattern until the house takes them up.

    Meanwhile, it’s the same situation for Speaker Paul Renner’s priority bills. House Bills 1 and 3, dealing with social media accounts and harmful materials for minors. The House passed both bills on January 24 and they are now sitting on the Senate side of the legislature awaiting further debate and action.

    Moms for Liberty takes center stage in Tallahassee

    The group “Moms for Liberty” formed just three years ago with three Florida moms in Brevard and Indian counties.

    Fast forward to today, where the group is a political force. They’re in 48 states and they’re fighting for what they’re calling “Parental rights in education.”

    Friday, Moms for Liberty took center stage at the Florida Capitol.

    January is the group’s three-year anniversary. Since 2021, they’ve fashioned themselves as advocates for parental rights.

    “Some of these wins happen on the school district level as you get pornographic books out of your schools, as you replace raging liberal school board members that don’t have children’s best interest at heart. And some of these wins happen here at the state,” Moms for Libery Co-founder Tiffany Justice said.

    Moms for Liberty is known as a group of outspoken critics. If you don’t know them, you’re probably familiar with their work.

    They helped push the Parental Rights bill in Florida, which was dubbed the “don’t say gay” law by opponents.

    Florida Republicans delivered the bill to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

    The law now bans preferred pronouns and LGBT lessons in Florida schools.

    “The thing is, they want to silence you. They want to get to feel ashamed. I’ll you what. They brought the war to us,” State Rep. David Borrero said.

    However, not everyone is a fan. The Southern Poverty Law Center lists Moms for Liberty as an extremist group.

    Democrats, meanwhile, say they’re damaging schools. Tampa Rep. Susan Valdes is a long time educator.

    “They have impacted politics in Florida in such a negative way. Instead of uniting people for the best for our children, they are dividing communities. They are dividing people. They are dividing kids,” Valdes said.

    For Democrats, Moms for Liberty is a problem, not a solution.

    Critics say the group should focus elsewhere. Things like teacher pay and retention, they say, need attention.

    “We have a teacher shortage. We know that many young students do not want to go into the profession of education because it doesn’t pay well and they see that they can’t teach,” Valdez said.

    While book bans and school board races are the group’s focus, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that helped propel the group into the national spotlight.

    They opposed school lockdowns and even rallied alongside former President Donald Trump and DeSantis.

    Biden prepares for projected win in South Carolina Primary

    Four years ago, reeling from losses in the Iowa caucuses, the New Hampshire primary and the Nevada caucuses, Joe Biden headed to South Carolina to make his last stand for the Democratic presidential nomination.

    His decisive win in the Palmetto State helped give his lagging campaign the boost it needed to capture the 2020 Democratic primary.

    “We are very much alive,” then-candidate Biden said in his victory speech at the University of South Carolina in Columbia at the time.

    On Saturday, President Biden will once again be on the ballot in South Carolina, the site of the first official contest of the Democratic presidential primary, in the hopes that the coalition that jumpstarted his last campaign — notably Black voters — can give this one a boost.

    “You’re the reason I am president,” Biden told voters last weekend at South Carolina’s First in the Nation Dinner in Columbia, the state’s capital. “You’re the reason Kamala Harris is a historic Vice President. And you’re the reason Donald Trump is a defeated former president. You’re the reason Donald Trump is a loser, and you’re the reason we’re gonna win and beat him again.”

    Democrats upended their primary calendar to make South Carolina their first-in-the-nation contest, a move the incumbent president backed in part to reflect the diversity of the party’s voters.

    While South Carolina, a ruby red state that last picked a Democrat for president in 1976, likely isn’t in play for the incumbent in November, it does underscore the inroads the president is aiming to make with Black voters, a group that fueled his 2020 win but has shown slight signs of waning support, per some recent polling. In the 2022 midterms, Black support for Republicans increased slightly, though they overwhelmingly backed Democrats, according to AP VoteCast data.

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    Gary Darling

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  • DeSantis considers sending state guard to Texas and a public sleeping bill

    DeSantis considers sending state guard to Texas and a public sleeping bill

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    Gov. Ron DeSantis prepares to send the State and National Guard to Texas to help with enforcing the southern border while a set of bills advance in Tallahassee that aim to ban sleeping in public.


    DeSantis prepares to send State and National Guard to Texas

    Florida is going all in on the southern border. State Republicans say the border crisis is a danger to the nation.

    But for Democrats, this is another political stunt by a governor who is still dreaming of the White House.

    Florida state guard troops are planning a surge on the southern border.

    Gov. Ron DeSantis Wednesday called on the Florida National Guard plus the Florida State Guard to, “Stop the invasion.”

    “Let’s all band together as states. Let’s say that our borders matter. Let’s say that we’re going to support Texas in making sure we can stop what is happening to our country,” DeSantis said.

    The governor is offering up to 1,000 national guardsmen to support Operation Lone Star. He is mobilizing the Florida State Guard too, making this their first deployment in state history.

    DeSantis says the forces will build barriers, throw down wire and establish barricades along the southern border.

    “The federal government is no longer protecting the states. Not the state of Texas, but all the states. The states have a right to protect their citizens,” State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia said.

    Democrats are urging him to reconsider. Better yet, they’d like him to focus on more pressing issues, like affordability.

    “We should let the feds do their job and DeSantis should focus on doing his. And let me tell you something. Leadership requires courage. It requires conviction. It requires making tough choices, but it also requires doing your damn job. And right now, DeSantis is not doing his,” House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell said.

    DeSantis resurrected the state guard back in 2021. They’re a state paramilitary force, and they operate off state dollars and answer only to the governor.

    The Florida State Defense Force, the progenitor of the Florida State Guard, was created in 1941 to supplement the state’s National Guard, which was emptied as members of the guard were called into service during World War II.

    The force was deactivated and disbanded in 1947 shortly after members of the Florida National Guard returned from service.

    The state of Texas has a state guard that was used by Gov. Greg Abbott to monitor federal military exercises in his state in 2015. There are currently 22 states that have an active state guard force. 

    Bills could ban sleeping in public

    Florida lawmakers advanced a pair of bills this week that would prevent people from being able to sleep or camp on public property without permits.

    Senate Bill 1530 and House Bill 1365 are now in the Judiciary Committee.

    The bills would allow, but not require, counties and municipalities to create designated public areas for the homeless to sleep. However, these areas must fit certain criteria, including access to running water, access to behavioral health services and having security on site.

    Several local governments across the state have created their own laws on homelessness and public camping. In Miami Beach, for example, refusal to leave after camping in a public space can result in a fine of up to $500 or jail time up to 60 days.

    “Each individual person’s homelessness is just as individual as their personality, just as individual as their fingerprint,” Rick Morris said. He received help from Matthew’s Hope.

    For Morris, his story of homelessness began due to his health. He said he lost sight in one eye and ultimately lost his job.

    Now he puts in work like painting at Matthew’s Hope. In return, the organization pays for his condo, and also got him new glasses.

    “There’s no other place I’ve seen, throughout the whole central part of this state that even compares to this,” he said.

    Matthew’s Hope is geared towards long-term solutions, giving people the resources to finally get off the street for the long haul.

    Scott Billue with the organization says a new bill proposal could have negative impacts on the already-hurting homeless population.

    Senate Bill 1530 would force counties & cities to ban people from sleeping or camping on public property without a permit.

    “We’re criminalizing homelessness,” Billue said.

    He said he grew up homeless living in hotels. He saw how homelessness was treated with bandaids instead of working to get people independent.

    “We have three shelters in Orange County. And they’re all within walking distance of one another, which makes no sense at all, because your highest concentration of homeless people are in West Orange County and East Orange County and there’s nothing there,” he said.

    One area of concern for him is Apopka, where there is no homeless shelter and nowhere nearby to go if they are asked to leave.

    The sponsor of the house’s version of the bill says it’s time to come up with solutions, and sleeping on the street can’t be one of them.

    “The status quo is not okay. And it’s not okay to seek public spaces to become de facto homeless camps,” State Rep. Sam Garrison said.

    Disney files appeal to DeSantis suit ruling

    Disney has filed an appeal with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta to overturn Wednesday’s ruling from a federal judge, dismissing the company’s lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his allies: the Florida Secretary of the Department of Commerce and members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board.

    Disney had sued in April 2023, claiming the state retaliated against it for publicly opposing the Parental Rights in Education law — called “Don’t Say Gay” by opponents.

    The governor responded at the time by supporting the Florida Legislature to strip Disney of its longtime self-governing power under the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

    For more than 50 years, Disney had significant control over its land in Central Florida, but the Legislature dissolved Reedy Creek and replaced it with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board in February 2023.

    Disney claimed the move violated the company’s First Amendment rights because the governor was punishing it for disagreeing with him.

    But a U.S. District Court judge for the Northern District of Florida in Tallahassee has now thrown that lawsuit out.

    The judge dismissed the case against DeSantis and the commerce secretary, saying Disney didn’t have standing to sue them. He also dismissed the case against the CFTOB, saying Disney failed to state a claim.

    “At the end of the day, under the law of this Circuit, ‘courts shouldn’t look to a law’s legislative history to find an illegitimate motivation for an otherwise constitutional statute’ …  Because that is what Disney seeks here, its claim fails as a matter of law,” the ruling said.

    Disney quickly responded yesterday, vowing to continue fighting the dissolution of Reedy Creek in the courts.

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    Celeste Springer

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  • Lawmakers in Tallahassee tackle monuments and gun violence

    Lawmakers in Tallahassee tackle monuments and gun violence

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    Lawmakers in Tallahassee are considering bills that would increase penalties for youth gun violence offenders and punish local governments that remove historical statues. 


    Lawmakers debate monument proposal

    Statues and monuments are the subject of ongoing debate in Tallahassee year after year.

    But in speaking to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, there are those who believe that this bill has some legs in this legislature.

    To remove or to preserve? In Tallahassee, state lawmakers are split. They’re wrestling with what to do with controversial monuments.

    House Bill 395 proposes the state “protection of historical monuments and memorials,” authorizing “all actions to protect and preserve all historical monuments and memorials from removal, damage or destruction.”

    “Over the past few years, local governments have made war on historic monuments and this recognizes that history belongs to all Floridians,” State Rep. Dean Black said.

    If local municipalities move or mess with a monument, HB 395 threatens penalties if passed as currently written. Violators could face fines or fees.

    As of 2022, roughly 75 Confederate monuments remain in Florida according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

    Supporters say the bill preserves history. They say the proposal protects all monuments.

    “The fact that this bill now is so hyper partisan I think is reflective of the country and how we’ve gotten even more partisan in the intervening six years,” State Rep. Spencer Roach said.

    Critics, however, call it offensive. They say cities, not the state, should make the call. They’re also calling it an affront to Florida’s black community.

    “Most I’ve ever been more offended by a bill. This bill is sending a message not only to Black folks in the state of Florida, but to your Black colleagues,” State Rep. Michele Rayner said.

    At the heart of this bill is the City of Jacksonville. Last month the city removed two confederate statutes, ending a nearly three-year debate.

    Youth gun violence bill would increase penalties

    As lawmakers consider toughen penalties for kids committing firearms violations, a new Florida bill is making its way through subcommittees in the Legislature.

    House Bill 1181, introduced by state Rep. Berny Jacques, would increase the punishment for juveniles caught with a gun — except in few specific scenarios — from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony.

    Jacques told the House Criminal Justice Committee this week that accountability can be a deterrent for these kids.

    “In a situation where a known youth is always known to be carrying around a firearm, and have committed offenses before, if they are addressed early on, that may deter them from doing something else in the future, because these things escalate. Today is just riding a bike with a gun on your hip, with your crew thinking it’s cool. The next day, you’re in a convenience store using that gun. But if we had a strong measure when they were held and arrested for just the bike ride and they had a minor in possession of a firearm, and something clicked, then maybe they maybe they wouldn’t go to that convenience store and Lord knows what’s going to happen,” he said.

    But critics of the bill say the proposed punishment is too harsh for minors.

    Derrick Collins wants to make a difference in his community.

    “We see them at the schools, we see them at their homes, we see them wherever they are. If they’re in the detention center, we see them there,” said Collins, the program director at Mr. and Ms. Mentoring.

    But when he heard about House Bill 1181, he had some questions.

    “I do feel like they need to understand why they might be holding a firearm in the first place,” Collins said. “A lot of the time it’s more protective rather than them just having it just cause. There are kids who use it for show, but a lot of it is for protection because of the areas that they live in.”

    Collins said that while he has kids who may be deterred if the bill is passed, other kids, the ones who fear their safety if they’re unarmed, might not.

    Instead of enacting harsher punishments, Collins said legislators should focus more on alternative programs to get kids onto the road to success.

    “We do provide a lot of alternatives, reading is one of those alternatives,” he said. “So we provide free books for them. They take them as they come.”

    If passed, the bill would also extend how long minors are held at a detention center before the court begins criminal proceedings. It states the juvenile could remain in the facility anywhere between five and 21 days, depending on the crime.

    Collins said he would like to know the reasoning behind the bill.

    “What is the overall goal for them?” he asked. “Is the goal to deter them from having it? Or is the goal to put the ones that are having it behind bars?” 

    The juvenile justice bill had its first reading this week and is currently being considered in the Justice Appropriations subcommittee.

    Biden attends two fundraisers in Florida

    President Joe Biden, aboard Air Force One, touched down in West Palm Beach this afternoon. Two fundraisers for the Biden-Harris reelection campaign were set for Miami and Palm Beach.

    Florida Democrats were quick to capitalize on the president’s visit. Party Chair Nikki Fried issued a statement that said, in part,

    “President Biden’s early visibility in Florida shows that the Biden campaign is serious about competing in the Sunshine State, and the Florida Democratic Party is happy to welcome him and his campaign to our home,” Fried said.

    Meanwhile, Americans for Prosperity-Florida had another take on the president’s visit, noting, “Floridians’ paychecks don’t go as far at the grocery store or gas station since ‘Bidenomics,’ and instead of collecting campaign dollars in Florida the president should unleash economic potential in our state,” the group said in a statement.

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    Katie Streit

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  • DeSantis gets involved in social media bill

    DeSantis gets involved in social media bill

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    Former President Donald Trump was dealt a major blow in the defamation case against him and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says a key Florida bill will need to be changed.


    Trump gets jury decision in defamation case

    Former President Donald Trump is on the campaign trail this weekend in Nevada. But across the country in a Manhattan courtroom, a big decision came down.

    A jury decided that Trump should pay writer E. Jean Carroll more than $83 million in damages for defamatory statements he made about her in 2019.

    The jury deliberated for less than three hours and ultimately awarded Carroll $7 million in emotional harm, $11 million in reputational repair, and $65 million in punitive damages. The award is more than eight times what Carroll asked for.

    Last year a separate jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages after they found Trump sexually abused her and then defamed her.

    Trump was not in the courtroom when the decision was read, but his attorney spoke afterward.

    “He took the stand. He abided by the rules of this corrupt system that I’ve seen,” Trump attorney Alina Habba said. “We will immediately appeal, we will set aside that ridiculous jury and I just want to remind you all of one thing: I will continue with President Trump to fight for everybody’s First Amendment right to speak.”

    Trump also went to his Truth Social account after the ruling to decry the jury’s decision.

    “Absolutely ridiculous! I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole Biden directed witch hunt focused on me and the Republican Party,” Trump wrote. “Our legal system is out of control and being used as a political weapon. They have taken away all first amendment rights. This is not America”

    In Georgia, Trump’s lawyers want to disqualify Fani Willis from leading the election interference case against him. His team says Willis created a conflict of interest by hiring her romantic partner to help with the case, Nathan Wade.

    His lawyers also accuse her of violating state rules when she claimed that racism was behind the efforts to remove her.

    Willis hasn’t confirmed nor denied a relationship with Wade, and she has to respond to the motion by next week.

    Meanwhile, the Georgia State Senate approved the creation of a special committee to investigate Willis. Six Republicans and three Democrats will have full subpoena power and the ability to require testimony under oath.

    DeSantis responds to social media restriction legislation

    In Kissimmee this morning, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was asked if he supported House Bill 1, which would ban social media use for minors younger than 16. The bill has been a priority for House Speaker Paul Renner. DeSantis took the opportunity to not only address the legislation itself, but what successful implementation of that bill would look like.

    “Anything I do. I want a pathway for this to actually stick. So we’re going to look through that. So what I would say is I’m sympathetic to, as a parent, what’s going on with our youth. But I also understand that to just say that, you know, someone that’s 15 just cannot have it no matter what, that may create some some legal issues. And so I told the speaker I’d work with them on it. So I would say that, you know, this is something that’s likely going to evolve as it gets through the House and makes its way through the Senate. And we’ll see if we get a product that is going to be something that’s good. But I, I am concerned about the breadth of it, and I want to empower parents. I want to give parents tools to to be able to do this. And so I just think you got to be smart about how you do it,” DeSantis said.

    After Wednesday’s passage of HB 1 in the House, it is now in the Senate’s hands for consideration.

    Biden to visit Florida

    President Joe Biden is coming to visit. He announced he will travel to the Palm Beach and Miami areas on Tuesday, Jan. 30.

    The president will participate in two campaign receptions. His wife, Dr. Jill Biden, is making a stop in Florida this weekend as well. She arrives tonight in Tampa and will speak at a fundraiser in Palm Harbor tomorrow.

    Lawmakers respond to gun proposal

    A call tonight for gun reform in Florida and across the country.

    Congresswoman Kathy Castor and State House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell both appeared in a virtual call today about what Democrats want to get passed.

    And they say they have support from the public and law enforcement.

    “I strongly support a ban on assault weapons. When you talk to local law enforcement, they do not want to be outgunned,” Castor said. “And so we should re-up the assault weapons ban. We need to work on safe storage of firearms and require background checks for all firearm purchases.”

    “Poll after poll shows us that the people of Florida overwhelmingly support common sense gun safety reforms,” Driskell said. “The people are on our side and they want to be able to go to school, work, shop in church, or just walk through their neighborhoods without the fear of being shot.”

    Last night we touched on proposed legislation that would roll back some of the gun reforms that were passed in Florida in 2018 after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting.

    One of those reforms was raising the age to buy a long-gun from 18 to 21. 

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    Phillip Stucky

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  • Lawmakers focus on border battle

    Lawmakers focus on border battle

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    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pledges to support the state of Texas in their dispute with the federal government about the Southern Border, and lawmakers tour Marjory Stoneman Douglas school.


    DeSantis to support Texas in border dispute

    Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida will stand with Texas in the border dispute with the federal government.

    Florida is one of about 15 red states vowing to support Texas Gov. Greg Abbot who says the federal government is failing to protect his state from an invasion.

    On Monday, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the federal government to remove razor wire installed by texas to help keep migrants out.

    Today DeSantis said Florida will continue sending personnel and assets to the Texas border, which is an extension of an earlier program.

    “You have Texas who is acting to enforce the laws on the books. To ensure they have a secure state and we have a secure country. So all of this is just nonsense what Biden is doing. Texas has every right to stand its ground. We even have been sending people from Florida to help for years now, because we understand it’s not just a Texas issue, it’s an American issue. And if we don’t have sovereignty in this country, then we are not going to be a county anymore. So they have every right to hold their ground, to stay the course, and Florida will continue to be there to help out every step of the way,” DeSantis said.

    There is a bill in the Florida Legislature that would expand the use of the Florida State Guard. It does not specifically mention Texas, but would allow the state guard to operate outside of Florida’s borders.

    Meanwhile, immigration is shaping up to be the defining issue of the 2024 election. Voters have consistently ranked it as a top issue in polling across the country.

    The U.S. Senate has been trying to craft immigration reform.

    Yesterday Sen. Rick Scott and conservative GOP colleagues made it clear they would not support the bill that the say would give a green light to letting in up to 5,000 migrants in per day.

    “Everyone up here would like to have a secure border. Most of us have always been very supportive of legal immigration. But what we don’t want, we don’t want drugs, criminals, terrorists, human traffickers. When President Trump was president, the border was secure. It’s not about the laws. We are talking about a new border bill, but it’s not about the laws, we actually have a lawless administration. The Biden administration is absolutely lawless. Senator Cruz is going to talk about this in regards to Texas. The Biden administration went to the Supreme Court to say they want to make sure that Texas cannot keep their border secure. Our federal government said they don’t want a secure border. They don’t want Texas to do their job to make sure their citizens stay safe. We haven’t seen the text yet, but one thing we do know about this bill, there will be nothing in there that will directly impact anything, whether it is Ukraine aid or anything else, if the border is not secure,” Scott said.

    A possible border deal that also would provide aid for Ukraine may be slipping away after months of intense negotiations.

    “I’m working with partners who want to deal. There are a lot of republican senators who want a bipartisan agreement,” Rep. Chris Murphy said.

    Former President Donald Trump, fresh off his victory in the New Hampshire primary, is amping up pressure on republicans to kill any agreement, demanding on his social media site that a border deal be “Perfect.”

    Trump is seeking to make the surge of migrants entering the U.S. A pillar of his presidential campaign, that strategy would be undercut by a border agreement.

    A deal also would give President Joe Biden a major legislative victory.

    Trump’s senate allies are welcoming his pressure campaign.

    “I hope that he’ll continue to be against it, be helpful on this, because I see absolutely no reason to give Joe Biden a pass,” Sen. Josh Hawley said.

    Minority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly told Republican colleagues they are in a quandary, especially since unlocking assistance for Ukraine and Israel depends on lawmakers reaching a border agreement.

    On Thursday he told reporters they’re still working toward a deal.

    Some senate Republicans are hitting back at attempts to block a deal for the sake of the 2024 election.

    “The fact that he would communicate to republican senators and congresspeople that he doesn’t want us to solve the border problem because he wants to blame Biden for it is really appalling,” Sen. Mitt Romney said.

    Even if the Senate reaches an agreement and passes it, the bill is likely to face an uphill fight in the House where the speaker, a fierce trump ally, has been demanding that it contain provisions most Democrats have called unacceptable.

    School safety and gun legislation

    School safety and gun reform is being discussed at the federal and state level.

    Today Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz and parkland victims’ families lead House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark on a guided visitation of Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school, the site of the February 2018 shooting that killed 17 people and injured 17 others.

    The building of the school where the massacre took place has been preserved just as it was immediately after the shooting. It is set to be demolished sometime this summer.

    U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona joined family members who lost loved ones on a tour of Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

    Afterwards, Cardona led a discussion with the parkland families on how to make changes to prevent the next school shooting

    “The visit this morning is the beginning of a relationship that I want to have with this community,” he said.

    Moskowitz says he is hopeful that a national red flag law can be passed.

    Red flag laws allow law enforcement to petition a judge to remove an individual’s firearms if it’s believed they pose a threat to someone or themselves.

    Moskowitz said Florida’s red flag law is supported by sheriffs statewide. That red flag law was just one of the reforms that happened after the Parkland massacre.

    Right after the shooting, the Florida Legislature implemented the first gun reform in the state in 2 decades.

    They raised the age to buy long guns from 18 to 21.

    Lawmakers may roll that back this session.

    A redistricting fight awaits a federal judge’s decision

    With the 2024 election quickly approaching, a federal court case is ongoing over the redistricting of Congressional District 5

    The North Florida district saw a major overhaul before the November 2022 election. In 2016, Democrat Al Lawson was elected in 2016.

    But after the state legislature changed the map after the 2020 census, Republicans won all the North Florida congressional seats in 2022.

    Voting rights groups are challenging the redistricting, saying it was unconstitutional.

    District 5 used to stretch from Jacksonville West to Gadsden county.

    After 2020, the borders were redrawn to cover the southern and eastern parts of Jacksonville and south down the St. Johns river through St. Augustine.

    “We’re arguing that there is intentional discrimination on the basis of race when DeSantis and the Florida Legislature approved that and drew the map that is currently in place,” Common Cause Executive Director Amy Keith said.

    The organization is a plaintiff along with the NAACP and others claiming the redistricting was unconstitutional and possibly involves racial discrimination. If they’re right, that could violate the 14th Amendment, which ensures equal protection of the Constitution.

    “In redistricting terminology, we would call that cracking. So what they did is they took a black community, and they cut it up into multiple districts to weaken their voice,” Keith said.

    The state argued the new map isn’t motivated by race

    “The result was a race-neutral map that prioritized traditional redistricting criteria like compactness and adherence to geographic and political boundaries, and gone was the district in North Florida where over 80% of the population came from only two counties at the extreme eastern and western edges of the district, separated by hundreds of miles, and connected by a narrow land bridge,” the state said in its arguments.

    Keith says the breakup of District 5 resulted in a change in representation

    “That is a district where black voters have the opportunity to elect a representative of their choice. The new map which you can see splits that district into 4 different districts across North Florida and all of those districts now have a white representative,” she said.

    The trial lasted 2 weeks late last year, and a decision has yet to be made by the federal judges.

    A ruling is expected before March.

    Meanwhile, a similar lawsuit in the state court system will now be taken up by the Florida Supreme Court.

    The lawsuit was first filed in April 2022.

    The Florida Supreme Court is giving plaintiffs until February 28 to file their initial brief. Subsequent filing deadlines could extend to the end of may before the case itself is heard before the court.

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    Phillip Stucky

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  • Come to Jeep Beach 2023 for fun, and ticket to win one helps community

    Come to Jeep Beach 2023 for fun, and ticket to win one helps community

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    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Jeep Beach 2023, the world’s largest Jeep event, wraps up its 20th year this weekend in Daytona Beach.

    What You Need To Know

    • Sunday is the last day for Jeep Beach 2023 in Daytona Beach

    • The event features obstacle courses, vendors, concerts, food and activities for kids

    • A Jeep Beach parade will be held right on Daytona Beach on Sunday

    • As part of the event, tickets can be purchased to win a drawing for a new Jeep

    The event is dedicated to all things Jeep, with obstacles courses to cruise through, concerts, vendors selling industry merchandise, all kinds of food and drink, activities to keep children busy and a Jeep Beach parade Sunday on Daytona Beach.

    Jeep Beach 2023 activities will continue through Sunday in Daytona Beach. (Spectrum News/Joh Ficurilli)

    Everett Flaitz, an electrician and Jeep enthusiast who last year won the iconic event’s drawing for a new Wrangler, calls Port Orange home after moving to Volusia County five years ago from Ohio.

    “We love the warm weather, the beaches and — uh, uh — we don’t have to worry about shoveling snow,” Flaitz said as he cruised in his Wrangler, Jeep’s most popular model.

    Flaitz bought a ticket, didn’t think anything of it, and then he heard the words, “You are the winner!”

    “I’ve never won anything in my life — so it’s incredible we won this,” said Flaitz, who had purchased another Jeep for his wife just before they won in 2022.

    Now they have two Jeeps.

    It’s not just “a” car to get from Point “A” to Point “B,” he said.

    “You can just use them on the beach, go off-roading or just drive ‘em around as your everyday vehicle,” Flaitz said.

    So, how exactly did he enter to win? He bought a $50 ticket.

    What’s most rewarding to Flaitz is knowing the proceeds from the drawing stay local.

    “That $50 you spend to win the Jeep, it goes to charity,” he said as he drove his yellow Jeep on the powdery sands of Daytona Beach.

    Jeep Beach organizers’ goal this year is to give away $1 million to charities in Volusia and Flagler counties. The funds raised go to programs, not overhead costs, they said.

    It’s not too late to get in on this year’s drawing on Saturday. The $50 ticket for a shot at this event’s Jeep can be purchased online.

    The 2023 Jeep being given away this year is a flamboyant red called “punk’n,” and it comes with special Jeep Beach badging that pays homage to Daytona International Speedway and the 20th anniversary of Jeep Beach.

    It also comes with a trailer from tinycampers.com that is fully equipped, with features such as a kitchen, a TV and creature comforts inside. Its roof extends to an A-frame, so you can put the children on top and mom and dad on the bottom during off-road adventures.

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    Ybeth Bruzual

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