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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- Opinion
Education Today Pits Postmodern Anarchy vs. Civilizational Order. Florida Shows What Can Be Done About It.
There is no subject of greater importance—and controversy—today in America than that of education. And nowhere is the clash between civilizational order and postmodern anarchy on greater display than with New College of Florida, a tiny liberal arts college in Sarasota. The New York Times recently described the reaction of “students, parents, and faculty members” to Florida Gov. Ron…John A. Burtka IV -
- News
‘Election Fraud … Does Happen,’ Florida Official Says as His Office Charges More Than 20 People With Election Crimes
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd said the Sunshine State’s new efforts to prosecute voter fraud are key to election security. “Last year the governor championed the Office of Election Crimes and Security,” Byrd told The Daily Signal. “So, we are telling everybody we take our election law seriously.” Byrd was in Washington this…Fred Lucas -
- News
‘Historic’: Board Member Reveals His Vision for New College of Florida Overhaul
New College of Florida needs a reorientation away from diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives back to its original mission as Florida’s premier liberal arts honors college, according to Matthew Spalding, dean of Hillsdale College’s Van Andel School of Government and a trustee of the Florida college. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, appointed Spalding to…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
- News
87% of Books Removed From Florida Schools Were Pornographic, Violent, Inappropriate, Data Shows
Editor’s note: Some of the images in this article are graphic. An overwhelming majority of books removed from Florida schools since the beginning of the academic year in September 2022 were pornographic, violent, or inappropriate for students’ grade levels, according to school district data submitted to the state’s Department of Education. Twenty-three out of 56…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- News
Claremont Institute Heads to Florida, Lauding DeSantis Leadership as ‘Template for Any Red State in America’
The Claremont Institute is expanding its state activities to Florida, praising Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for providing "the first template for any red state in America" through his leadership. DeSantis met with Claremont Institute President Ryan Williams on Wednesday in the Florida state Capitol, where the conservative leaders announced that Claremont's new activities will…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
Florida Shows How Americans Can Fight Back Effectively Against Woke Institutional Power
Americans need to curtail the power of the radicals who control higher education. Perhaps now we have a blueprint to really turn things around. On top of entirely changing the leadership of the New College of Florida, rooting out critical race theory and gender ideology in K-12 schools, and pressuring the College Board into revising…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
Exposing Radical Florida Lawmaker’s Attempted Hijacking of Parental Rights
Legislation introduced in the Florida House of Representatives this month is being touted by its sponsor as a “children’s rights” bill, but it would be more accurate to call it what it is, a “usurpation of parental rights” bill. Characterizing far-left Democratic state Rep. Michele Rayner-Goolsby’s HB 217 as a children’s rights bill is a…Tiffany Justice -
- News
DeSantis Announces Changes to Florida’s Colleges
Florida is making a slew of changes to its colleges, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, said Tuesday morning. “We will eliminate all DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] and CRT [critical race theory] bureaucracies in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said in a news conference in Bradenton, Florida. “New College has really embraced that, and I…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
- News
Florida Supreme Court Rejects Planned Parenthood’s Bid to Block Pro-Life Law From Taking Effect
Florida's state Supreme Court on Monday denied Planned Parenthood's emergency motion to block the state's 15-week abortion ban. “As [Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis] said, we are better when everybody counts,” the governor's press secretary, Bryan Griffin, said in a statement Tuesday, adding: The Florida Supreme Court denied both of Planned Parenthood’s emergency motions asking the court…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
- News
DOJ Indicts Radical Activists for Attacking Florida Pro-Life Facilities
Following attacks on over 78 pro-life groups across the nation, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has finally indicted two pro-abortion activists for attacking pro-life facilities in Florida. Twenty-seven-year-old Caleb Freestone and 23-year-old Amber Smith-Stewart “targeted pregnancy resource facilities and vandalized those facilities with spray-painted threats,” according to the DOJ. The threatening language that the two…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- News
Hillsdale College Professor Appointed to Florida College Sets the Record Straight Amid Liberal Media Attacks
Left-leaning media outlets have villainized Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, painting his recent moves in the Sunshine State’s education system as a hostile takeover from the Right. So Matthew Spalding, a professor at Hillsdale College whom DeSantis recently appointed to the New College of Florida’s board of trustees, decided to set the record straight. “DeSantis…Tyler O’Neil -
- News
Ron DeSantis, Sworn In as Florida Governor, Promises to Uphold ‘The Sacred Fire of Liberty’
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took the oath of office on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his wife and children, beginning his second term as governor of Florida. “Freedom lives here in our great Sunshine State of Florida,” DeSantis said Tuesday in front of Florida’s historic state Capitol, aware that the eyes of not only the…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- News
DeSantis Asks for Florida Grand Jury to Investigate COVID-19 Vaccines
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday new actions designed to hold the federal government and pharmaceutical companies accountable for decisions related to COVID-19 vaccines. DeSantis will establish the Public Health Integrity Committee, overseen by the state’s surgeon general, to assess federal public health recommendations and guidance. The governor also petitioned the Florida Supreme Court to impanel…Brett Rowland -
- Opinion
5 Reasons I Moved From New York to Florida
“Why, after three decades of life as a New Yorker, did you move to Florida?” I’m often asked this question with a mix of wonder, as if I’d just traveled across Mongolia on horseback, tainted by Upper East Side disdain (“Did you retire early?” How was the hurricane?” etc.). For background, I first came to…Michael Wilkerson -
- Opinion
How Florida Became New Capital of Red State America
In what was an overall frustrating election night for Republicans, in which the oft-predicted “red wave” failed to materialize nationally, there was one state above all that provided a clear beacon of hope. That would be my adopted state of Florida. In the Sunshine State last Tuesday evening, Gov. Ron DeSantis cruised to a second…Josh Hammer -
- Opinion
A True Realignment in Florida
It was a difficult Tuesday night for Republicans. Despite so many factors pointing to a massive red tsunami likely to sweep Democrats out of power in the midterm elections, it was a small wave that gently lapped on GOP shores. But does a muted wave mean it’s time for the right to tap out? It’s still…Jarrett Stepman -
- News
DeSantis-Endorsed School Board Candidates Win in Florida
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, won reelection by almost 20 points, and all six of the school board candidates he endorsed have prevailed Tuesday. DeSantis had previously endorsed 24 candidates in school board races, all of whom won. While school board races are historically nonpartisan, parents’ outrage over critical race theory, transgender activism, and…Tyler O’Neil -
- News
‘Florida Is Where the Woke Goes to Die,’ Gov. Ron DeSantis Proclaims After Landslide Reelection
Wokeness isn’t welcome in Florida, and the Sunshine State is a place where it “goes to die,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, who was reelected in a landslide, said in a Tuesday night victory speech. DeSantis defeated Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, a former Republican and former governor, by nearly 20 percentage points with…Samantha Aschieris -
- News
BREAKING: Ron DeSantis Wins Reelection in Florida
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis will win reelection, The Associated Press, The New York Times, and Fox News projected. It remains to be seen how large his margin of victory will be but with nearly 80% reporting, DeSantis leads with more than 16 points and more than 1 million votes, 57.96% to Democratic U.S. Rep….Tyler O’Neil -
- News
Florida Medical Boards Ban Transgender Surgeries, Hormones for Minors
The Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine approved a new rule Friday banning puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and transgender surgeries for minors. The two boards approved the rule banning such treatments for young people under 18 during a joint meeting on Friday, according to Florida’s Voice. The Florida Board of…Mary Margaret Olohan