Florida Politics & News
Florida news featured in The Daily Signal with reporting, analysis, and commentary on conservative governance, education reform, and the Sunshine State’s leadership in policy innovation.
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news
Florida School Mourns Football Coach Who Sacrificed His Own Life to Save Others in Mass Shooting
Aaron Feis, an assistant football coach and security guard at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was among the 17 killed in Parkland, Florida, on Wednesday in a mass shooting at the school, sacrificing himself to save others. The school’s head football coach, Willis May, told the Sun-Sentinel newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, that he heard directly… -
opinion
Podcast: The Florida Shooting, Gun Control, Mental Health, and the FBI
The Heritage Foundation’s John Malcolm joins us to discuss the tragic shooting in Parkland, Florida. Democrats are already pushing for gun laws, and people are questioning why the FBI didn’t do more after a person with the same name as the shooter posted online about school shootings. Plus: some things you shouldn’t give up for… -
news
In Wake of Florida School Shooting, Trump Calls for Culture That ‘Embraces the Dignity of Life’
President Donald Trump, saying he will travel to Parkland, Florida, following a deadly school shooting there, vowed Thursday to meet with leaders across the country to address school safety and mental health issues. “Each person who was stolen from us yesterday had a full life ahead of them,” @RealDonaldTrump says. “Our entire nation with one… -
news
Florida Could Give 1 in 4 of the Nation’s Felons the Right to Vote
Florida voters will decide next fall whether about 1.5 million felons will regain the right to vote in time for the 2020 presidential election. If state voters approve the ballot question, they will restore the right to vote to nearly one-fourth of the nation’s former prisoners who committed felony offenses, according to the Sentencing Project,… -
opinion
Licensing Laws Have Long Been a Drain on the Economy. But Florida Could Soon See Reform.
Florida lawmakers are finally addressing the elephant in the barbershop: Floridians must endure 1,200 training hours, pass an exam, and pay a $223.50 fee just to cut hair for money. In the first weeks of Florida’s 60-day legislative session, the state House passed a bill, H.B. 15, to loosen the chokehold that several licensing regulations… -
opinion
When Will Florida Courts Start Protecting Property Rights?
Ten years ago, Florida’s DeSoto County put out the red carpet for Tom Finney, owner of an excavation business. County staff invited him to buy a million-dollar piece of property in the county to use and support his family business. County commissioners then pulled that rug out from under him, vetoing his plan for the… -
news
Florida Democrat Election Official Admits Noncitizens, Felons Voting
A veteran Democrat chief election official in Florida has conceded in court that noncitizens and felons possibly voted, in a case that could have national implications for how localities clean up voter rolls. Broward County Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes is defending her office against a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Rights Union, a conservative… -
news
Florida Republican Asks Attorney General to Look Into Former House IT Aide’s Finances
A House Republican from Florida this week urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to determine whether any U.S. financial institutions have reported suspicious banking activity by a former information technology aide to a Florida Democrat who until last year headed the national party. Imran Awan; his wife, Hina Alvi; his brothers; and his best friend are… -
opinion
Election Fraud Is a Nonpartisan Issue. These Cases From Florida Prove It.
One of the most important swing states in the nation, Florida, was hit with election fraud in 2016, harming voters on both sides of the political aisle. This is the latest example of why election fraud is a nonpartisan issue, and one that must be addressed in a serious and thoughtful manner. Consider a recent… -
opinion
Why Poll-Watching Trends in Florida Are Harming Democracy
Last week, the specter of ballot fraud came alive in Florida when scores of mail ballots in Broward County were found to have been wrongfully opened by election officials in secret. This episode comes not as an “isolated” incident, but sadly as the predictable result of a pernicious tactic of discouraging poll watchers from doing… -
news
As Obama Travels to Florida to Promote Obamacare, State Faces Higher Costs, Fewer Options
Before Obamacare insurance exchanges were established in 2013, Florida had 18 insurers operating in the state. President Barack Obama arrives in Miami Thursday to promote his signature legislative achievement, as Florida will have just five companies for Florida residents to choose from in 2017. The Affordable Care Act was sold in part as a means… -
opinion
Florida Moves to Reform Controversial Police Practice
The Florida state Senate recently voted unanimously in support of a major civil forfeiture reform package. On Tuesday the Florida House of Representatives followed suit, voting 116-0 in favor of the bill. Forfeiture reform has won the full-throated support of state legislators. Now the bill heads to the desk of Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, who has… -
opinion
How Florida Created 1 Million Jobs in 5 Years
Gov. Rick Scott had a lot of good news to share with the Florida legislature at his State of the State address on Jan. 12. Considering what Florida’s economy looked like when Scott took office, this was surprising. In 2011, when Scott was sworn in, Florida’s economy was in terrible shape. With over 900,000 jobs… -
news
Florida Family Policy Council Calls on Gov. Rick Scott to Defund Planned Parenthood
The Florida Family Policy Council has launched a campaign to defund Planned Parenthood in the state. In an interview with The Daily signal, John Stemberger, the president and general counsel for the Florida Family Policy Council, said that the statewide campaign is an effort to call on Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla., to fully defund Planned Parenthood… -
news
Florida Family Indicted for Defrauding Export-Import Bank, Costing Government $2 Million
A Florida family has been indicted by the Justice Department for defrauding the Export-Import Bank and other private lenders, which cost the U.S. government close to $2 million. According to the Department of Justice, Guillermo Sanchez, Isabel Sanchez and Gustavo Giral allegedly created fake invoices and shipping documents to obtain a loan from the Export-Import… -
news
Florida Law Instituting a 24-Hour Waiting Period for Abortion Goes Into Effect
After being temporarily delayed by a judge, a Florida law that institutes a mandatory 24-hour waiting period before undergoing an abortion went into effect on Wednesday. House Bill 633 was signed into law last month. The legislation requires an abortion provider to meet with a woman seeking an abortion for a consultation appointment at least 24… -
news
Florida House Rejects Medicaid Expansion
During a special session in the Florida Legislature, the state’s House of Representatives voted down a proposal last week that would have expanded the state’s Medicaid program. The state Senate overwhelmingly passed the plan just days prior. The issue created a sharp divide between the chamber’s Democrats and Republicans. Republicans, rebuking the president’s health care… -
opinion
How Florida Is Trying to Push Back Against Federal Government Overreach
Federalism at the state level is more often preached than practiced. For all the invocations of the 10th Amendment, state officials tend to act as vassals of the federal government tasked with assisting in the implementation of federal policies. Federal encroachments on state powers are either eagerly embraced—46 states have adopted Common Core—or accepted with passive… -
news
Major Bank Won’t Do Business With a Florida Gun and Pawn Shop. Is Choke Point to Blame?
Earlier this month, a small gun and pawn shop owner in Florida appeared to have found himself in the middle of an Operation Choke Point controversy when SunTrust Bank, out of the blue, closed his bank account. Some, including Steve Champion, the owner of American Gun & Pawn in Brooksville, Fla., were quick to blame… -
opinion
Florida Taking the Lead on Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform
Florida is poised to become the new front in the civil asset forfeiture reform movement. State Sen. Jeff Brandes, a Republican from the Tampa area, has filed reform legislation, which the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice discussed in a hearing today. >>> The Heritage Foundation will co-host of an event next week…