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
Judge Rejects Bill Nelson’s Push for Recount Deadline Extension, Calling Florida a ‘Laughingstock’
A federal judge rejected a push by Democratic Florida Sen. Bill Nelson to extend the machine recount deadline in a Thursday ruling and labelled Florida a “laughingstock” because of its election failures. “We have been the laughingstock of the world, election after election, and we chose not to fix this,” U.S. District Judge Mark Walker said… -
opinion
Podcast: What You Need to Know About Florida Recount, Georgia Vote Tallying
As recounts continue in Florida for the gubernatorial and Senate races, and Georgia continues tallying votes in its gubernatorial election, The Heritage Foundation’s Hans von Spakovsky, an expert on voter fraud, joins us to discuss what’s really going on—and causes for concern about shenanigans. Listen below or read the transcript a little bit further down…. -
opinion
A Replay of 2000? Florida Recount Stirs Concerns.
MIAMI—Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., had the best line when it comes to the latest Florida election in which contests for governor and the U.S. Senate are still undecided. Rubio tweeted: “Bay County was hit by a Cat 4 Hurricane just 4 weeks ago, yet managed to count votes & submit timely results. Yet over 41… -
news
Trump Calls Out Embattled County Election Official in Florida Vote-Count Mess
President Donald Trump is scrutinizing the Florida election-recount process, and he isn’t the only one—largely because of Broward County. On election night, it appeared likely that Rick Scott, the outgoing Florida Republican governor, had defeated Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson for his seat. It appeared even more likely that Republican ex-Rep. Ron DeSantis defeated Democrat Andrew… -
news
12 Times Florida County’s Elections Supervisor Has Been ‘Incompetent and Possibly Criminal’
As both parties scrutinize the vote count in Florida’s Broward County, with the state’s gubernatorial and senatorial races closing in on a tie, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said the county’s elections office has a history of malfeasance. “This is at a minimum a pattern of incompetence. Voters deserve better,” the Florida Republican said Thursday on “Tucker Carlson… -
news
Rubio Says Democrat Lawyers Are Going to Florida to ‘Change the Results of Election’
Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is warning that the fate of his state’s governorship could hang in the hands of Florida’s Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes, whom he’s called incompetent for violating state and federal laws. A liberal candidate similarly painted her as incompetent and corrupt. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum initially conceded… -
news
Florida Man Held, Van Searched in Case of 12 Suspicious Packages Sent to Public Figures
Law enforcement officials on Friday arrested a Florida man identified as Cesar Sayoc Jr. in connection with 12 suspected mail bombs sent to Democratic politicians and other public officials in the past few days. Sayoc, who resides in Aventura, Florida, north of Miami, is suspected of sending at least 12 potential explosive devices to Democrats… -
opinion
Hurricane Michael Strengthening as It Approaches Florida Panhandle
Hurricane Michael, as of now, is a very strong Category 2 storm with 110 mph winds, and is expected to become a Category 3 before it makes landfall sometime Wednesday. Florida Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency for at least 35 counties, and mandatory evacuations are under way for 120,000 residents of… -
opinion
Why a Florida Man’s 20-Year Sentence for Stealing Cigarettes Isn’t a Case for Criminal Justice Reform
Robert Spellman Jr. last week received a 20-year prison sentence after a jury convicted him on burglary and grand theft charges for stealing $600 worth of cigarettes from a Florida convenience store. It’s a sentence Spellman, of Pensacola, Florida, well deserves. Spellman’s sentence has become a national (and international) story in part because of robust… -
opinion
Podcast: Student Journalist From Florida’s Broward County Shares His Findings on School Safety
The school shooting in Parkland, Florida, rocked the nation. It also revealed incompetence and even corruption within the local school board. Kenneth Preston, a student journalist who helped expose some of these issues, joins us. Plus: A new poll shows Americans are split on whether they want to go to space. -
opinion
Same Policies That Failed to Stop Florida Shooter Exist in School Districts Nationwide
Critics of President Donald Trump said his response to the Florida school shooting earlier this year was ill-conceived and a failure. Yet a new startling revelation from school district officials in Broward County, Florida, shows the White House’s response was indeed appropriate—more than even the Trump administration knew. On Feb. 14, Nikolas Cruz, a student… -
news
Florida Bans ‘Free Speech Zones’ at State Colleges
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has signed into law a bill banning so-called “free speech zones” at public universities and allowing students and speakers to sue the schools for violating their First Amendment rights. Free speech zones are limited areas, sometimes only fractions of a campus, where students may express themselves freely. Critics argue that an… -
news
Florida School Shooting Survivor Counsels Alternatives to Gun Bans
Employing veterans to guard schools and making mental health counseling available to students could help prevent mass shootings, says a survivor of the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Although he dislikes the term “survivor” because he was elsewhere in the building and didn’t witness the shooting firsthand, Kyle Kashuv was at Marjory Stoneman… -
news
As Florida Moves to Raise Age for Buying Rifles, Legal Hurdles Remain
Days after President Donald Trump touted possible federal legislation raising the age for purchasing guns to 21, two major retailers were sued for doing so on their own. A 20-year-old man in Oregon sued Walmart and the Dick’s Sporting Goods chain for age discrimination after the two retailers decided to prevent anyone under 21 from… -
opinion
We Hear You: Politics and School Safety After the Massacre in Parkland, Florida
Editor's note: Like so many other Americans, The Daily Signal's audience is trying to figure out the way forward after a 19-year-old with a rifle killed 17 and wounded 14 at a Florida high school. We begin today with an initial sampling of views. Send your take on school safety and other matters to [email protected]—Ken… -
news
Half Support Trump Plan for Arming Teachers After Florida School Shooting, New Poll Finds
Half of registered voters agree with President Donald Trump on arming teachers, according to a new poll. Trump called for considering the training and arming of teachers in the wake of the deadly Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland, Florida, that took the lives of 17 people and wounded at least 14. He tweeted that teachers… -
opinion
Release the Florida School Shooting Surveillance Videos
Open government isn’t just good government. It’s the public’s right. In Florida, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and Broward County school district are fighting to keep exterior surveillance video from the day of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School hidden from view. As journalists and citizens who’ve waged uphill battles against secrecy… -
news
Facebook Beats Up Lawmaker for 10-Month-Old Photo About Prayer After Florida School Shooting
Facebook users attacked Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., for a post about his hand-delivering a bag of prayer cards to President Donald Trump nearly a year ago, apparently believing it was Bost’s response to the Florida high school shooting. Those faulting Bost on Facebook said the bag of prayer cards—cards with handwritten prayers and passages from… -
news
Gov. Rick Scott Wants Florida to Prohibit Anyone Under 21 From Buying a Gun
Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced plans Friday to raise the age for purchasing a firearm in his state to 21, but provide exceptions for the military and law enforcement. “We will require all individuals punishing firearms to be 21 or older,” Scott said during extensive remarks at a press conference. “There’ll be exceptions for active-duty… -
news
Florida House Passes ‘In God We Trust’ Bill for Schools in Response to Massacre
The Florida House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday requiring all public schools to prominently display the nation's motto, “In God We Trust,” somewhere on campus. The state House passed the bill in the wake of the recent massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland amid mounting cries for legislative solutions to gun violence,…