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
‘Your Life Is Not Valued’: NAACP President Doubles Down on Florida Travel Warning
NAACP President Derrick Johnson doubled down on the organization’s travel warning about Florida during a Monday CNN appearance. “Well, the governor has perfected the art of doing stunts to gain campaign contributions. Unfortunately, this will impact people’s lives,” Johnson told “CNN This Morning” co-host Sara Sidner, citing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, as a…Harold Hutchison -
- News
Pro-Life Groups Challenge Trump’s Suggestion That Florida’s Heartbeat Ban Is ‘Too Harsh’
Pro-life groups are pushing back against former President Donald Trump’s claim that the movement against abortion finds Florida’s new pro-life legislation “too harsh.” “The pro-life movement demands a presidential candidate who will boldly advocate for the human rights of all people,” Noah Brandt, vice president of communications at Live Action, told The Daily Signal. “It…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
DeSantis Signs 4 of Largest Reforms of Public Education in Florida History
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed four landmark pieces of education legislation Tuesday that seek to “empower teachers,” protect schools from the harmful effects of social media, expand student scholarships, and authorize one standardized test as an alternative to two others. DeSantis’ office has dubbed the package of four bills the “Teachers Bill of…Tony Kinnett -
- News
How Florida Rose From ‘Worst to First’ in Timely Election Results
Two decades ago, Florida was a national laughingstock after 36 days of recounts and litigation springing from the 2000 presidential election, which hung on results in the Sunshine State. Today, Florida is a national model, according to the Public Interest Legal Foundation, an election watchdog group. In November, Florida managed to call the federal and…Fred Lucas -
- News
What Are They Hiding? Pro-Transgender Groups Refuse to Hand Over Internal Documents Even as They Move to Oppose Florida’s Medicaid Rule
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—A large number of pro-transgender medical interest groups have supported a legal challenge to Florida's rule barring use of Medicaid funds to pay for controversial transgender medical interventions, after most of the same organizations fought in court to hide documents that Florida says are relevant to the case. The American Academy…Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
Appeals Court in Florida Voids Obama Judge’s Ruling in Win for Election Integrity
In a win for common sense and the voters of Florida, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-to-1 opinion written by Chief Judge Bill Pryor, upheld several election reforms passed by the Florida Legislature in 2021. In League of Women Voters of Florida v. Florida Secretary of State, the appeals court on…Hans von Spakovsky -
- News
EXCLUSIVE: 16 Attorneys General Back Florida Transgender Medicaid Rule
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Sixteen state attorneys general weighed in on Florida's rule blocking Medicaid funds from transgender medical interventions on the grounds that they are experimental. "From the Founding, states have exercised their authority to enact health and safety measures—regulating the medical profession, restricting access to potentially dangerous medicines, banning unsafe or unproven treatments,"…Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
Disney Is Going to Lose (Again) to Florida and Ron DeSantis
The first round of the “Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis v. The Walt Disney Co.” fight, held last spring, ended in a clear DeSantis victory and Disney defeat. Following Disney’s vocal opposition to Florida’s commonsense Parental Rights in Education Act, misleadingly dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Florida passed a law to abolish the Reedy…Josh Hammer -
- News
‘War on Woke’: DeSantis Says Florida Will Teach Truth, American Exceptionalism
OXON HILL, Md.—Woke ideology is a war on truth, so Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is waging a “war on woke” in education and other arenas, the Republican said at The Heritage Foundation’s 50th Anniversary Leadership Summit. In his keynote address on Friday, DeSantis said education in the Sunshine State will not impose political indoctrination on…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
- News
DeSantis Signs Florida’s Heartbeat Bill Into Law
Within 15 minutes of receiving Florida’s heartbeat bill, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed that pro-life legislation into state law, banning abortions in Florida once an unborn baby has a detectable heartbeat. The Heartbeat Protection Act prohibits doctors from “knowingly performing” an abortion on a baby whose age is determined to be more than 6…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- News
Florida House Passes Heartbeat Bill, Sends It to DeSantis’ Desk
Florida’s Heartbeat Protection Act is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk for signing. On Thursday, the Florida House of Representatives passed the heartbeat bill in a 70-40 vote. The bill prohibits most abortions after a baby’s heartbeat is detected at six weeks of pregnancy. “Florida lawmakers today delivered a major win for babies and mothers…Virginia Allen -
- News
EXCLUSIVE: LGBT Legal Challenge Threatens Far More Than Florida Medicaid Rule, Experts Warn
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—If a federal court upholds LGBT activists' claims against a Florida health agency's Medicaid rule on transgender interventions, that decision would have devastating consequences for civil rights law, health care providers, and public health, experts warn. LGBT activist groups led by Lambda Legal and representing four young people who identify as…Tyler O’Neil -
- News
EXCLUSIVE: Doctors Expose Just How Experimental ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ Truly Is in Florida Medicaid Case
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Psychiatrists, endocrinologists, neurologists, and other doctors testified in support of a Florida health agency's rule preventing Medicaid from funding various forms of "gender-affirming care," such as "puberty-blockers," cross-sex hormones, and transgender surgeries. "Patients suffering from gender dysphoria or related issues have a right to be protected from experimental, potentially harmful treatments…Tyler O’Neil -
- News
EXCLUSIVE: Detransitioners Back Florida Medicaid Rule Amid LGBT Legal Challenge
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Three "detransitioners"—men who underwent surgeries in pursuit of a female gender identity but later rejected that identity—filed a legal brief supporting a Florida health agency's rule preventing Medicaid from reimbursing for transgender medical interventions. Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration finalized the rule in August 2022, declaring that Medicaid would not…Tyler O’Neil -
- News
Jane’s Revenge Vandals Slapped With Lawsuits in Florida, Launching a Trend That May Spread Across the Country
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and Christian legal group First Liberty Institute filed lawsuits Wednesday seeking damages and fines against two members of Antifa and pro-abortion group Jane's Revenge who allegedly vandalized three pro-life pregnancy centers in south and central Florida. A federal grand jury indicted Caleb Freestone, 27, and Amber Smith-Stewart, 23, with violations…Tyler O’Neil -
- News
DeSantis Vows Florida Won’t Help Extradite Trump
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced in a tweet that the Sunshine State will not help extradite former President Donald Trump, who was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury Thursday night. Trump spends significant time at Mar-a-Lago, a Florida resort he owns. “Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue…Katrina Trinko -
- News
Catholic Church in Nicaragua ‘Under Siege’ From ‘Dictator-in-Chief’ Ortega, Florida Lawmaker Says
Two panels of the House Foreign Affairs Committee held a joint hearing recently focusing on the persecution of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua. Since last year, the Catholic Church had been facing intense mistreatment from President Daniel Ortega, culminating in the arrest of Bishop Rolando Álvarez, an outspoken critic of Ortega’s government. Álvarez was sentenced…Michael Ippolito -
- Opinion
Toll of Border Crisis on States: Florida
This is Part 3 in a series about the toll that the federal government’s intentional promotion of illegal immigration is taking on the states and their citizens. (Read Part 1 (national overview) here and Part 2 (Texas) here.) As the border crisis continues across every congressional district in the country, Florida is leading the charge to fight back…Erin Dwinell -
- News
Progressive College Recruits Students From DeSantis-Aligned Florida School; Board Member Slams ‘Political Indoctrination’
A board member at The New College of Florida where Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed new board members has responded to a progressive college’s active recruitment of students from New College. Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, is publicly offering New College students the opportunity to transfer, offering to match tuition and transfer credits. “It’s incredibly important…Michael Ippolito -
- News
Pro-Trump Super PAC Accuses DeSantis of Violating Florida Ethics Law
Allies of former President Donald Trump accused Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis of violating ethics and election laws through a "shadow presidential campaign," according to a 15-page complaint filed Wednesday. DeSantis has not announced a presidential campaign, though he is widely considered a top contender. NEVER BACK DOWN PAC just launched to encourage DeSantis to run,…Mary Margaret Olohan