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Frost, Cherfilus-McCormick blast GOP comments about Haitian migrants
Two Florida Democratic members of Congress are speaking out against harsh Republican verbal attacks targeting Haitian immigrants living in the U.S., labeling them “disgusting,” and “disgraceful.” GOP vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance said Monday that he had previously raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and “generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio,” […]
Why the Harris-Trump presidential debate matters and four things to keep in mind as you watch
A common complaint about presidential debates is that they change few minds. This year, with anywhere between 3% and 6% of likely voters undecided in early September and the closeness of the race, especially in the battleground states, that is more than enough to swing an election if a sizeable portion favor one candidate over the other as […]
University union sues state over membership threshold
The union representing Florida’s public colleges and universities and its FAMU chapter have filed suit against the state, claiming a law requiring 60% membership for a union to maintain certification violates the Florida Constitution. The Florida A&M University chapter of the United Faculty of Florida’s lawsuit, filed in Leon County Circuit Court, names as defendant […]
Florida Senate Democratic Caucus endorses Amendment 3
Members of the Florida Democratic Senate caucus came out formally in support of Amendment 3 on Monday — the constitutional amendment that would legalize recreational use of cannabis in Florida that’s on the Nov. 5 ballot. “This isn’t strictly a partisan issue,” incoming Senate Democratic Leader Jason Pizzo from South Florida said in kicking off […]
DeSantis ‘ready, willing, and able’ to work with Legislature on condo solutions
Gov. Ron DeSantis said he is “ready, willing, and able” to find a solution with the Legislature for spiking condominium costs before the end of the calendar year. Legislative action following the 2021 collapse of a condominium in the Miami suburb of Surfside that killed 98 people has resulted in financial strains on condominium owners […]
Group behind Medicaid expansion initiative might have to restart petition gathering
The group behind the initiative to expand Medicaid said Monday that a Florida Department of State rule could force it to restart the petition collection process. Florida Decides Healthcare re-launched in February a petition drive for voters to decide in 2026 whether the state should provide health coverage for low-income adults. The group suspended the […]
Former GOP candidate says he’s suing ‘Republican faction’ for pushing him to leave state atty race
Thomas Feiter, an Orlando attorney who lost in the Republican primary for state attorney in Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit last month, announced at a press conference Monday that he will file a lawsuit claiming that the DeSantis administration interfered in the race. The action will name sitting State Attorney Andrew Bain, former Republican state attorney […]
Democrats tease legal battle against state messaging opposing Amendment 4
Florida Democrats said Monday that they’re exploring legal options against the use of state funds for messaging in opposition to the proposed abortion-rights amendment, but Gov. Ron DeSantis insists the state efforts are just public service announcements. Although the party has not decided on a specific course of action, FDP Chair Nikki Fried said the […]
Trump makes it official: He’s voting for legalizing cannabis in Florida
Although former President Donald Trump had predicted that Amendment 3, the proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize recreational cannabis for adults 21 and over, would pass in November, he has now confirmed that he will vote for it. “As a Floridian, I will be voting YES on Amendment 3 this November,” Trump wrote on his Truth […]
Donald Trump ‘weaves’ himself into incoherence
“You know, I do the weave. You know what the weave is? I’ll talk about like nine different things, and they all come back brilliantly together, and it’s like, friends of mine that are, like, English professors, they say, ‘It’s the most brilliant thing I’ve ever seen.’” — Donald John Trump I am an English […]
British transplant to Kansas argues punk the most influential political music of all time
LAWRENCE — Fourteen-year-old Iain Ellis gravitated to sights and sounds of punk music while growing up in a middle-class town outside London. He wasn’t alone in anticipating the genre would quickly die off like so many other trends in the industry. “I wasn’t a street punk like a lot of kids in the East End, […]
Democratic Tennessee lawmaker campaigns in Florida on avoiding ‘authoritarians’
TALLAHASSEE – A Tennessee state House member once expelled from that body flew to Florida to advocate against authoritarianism and stump for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz. Tennessee State Rep. Justin Pearson, one of the “Tennessee Three” expelled for protesting on the House floor against gun violence, made a stop […]
State agency puts $100 million in reserves meant for kids’ health insurance program
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration is putting $100.7 million in reserves because the state overestimated the number of kids who would receive health insurance through a program meant for low-income families. An official with the agency told lawmakers on the Legislative Budget Commission on Friday that the change would realign Florida KidCare’s budget […]
Lawmakers approve extra funds for food, services for veterans’ nursing homes
Lawmakers on the Florida Legislative Budget Commission on Friday approved $3.5 million to cover food and contracted services at Florida’s eight veterans’ nursing homes and assisted living facility. In its request for extra funds for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs said it lacked enough money to buy food and pay […]
DeSantis tramples Florida unions rights even as labor’s power explodes elsewhere
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is a man of the people, a vocal champion in defense of labor unions. And he cares deeply about bread-and-butter issues and promoting workers’ rights. DeSantis also labors tirelessly to secure better wages, salaries, and conditions for working and middle-class Floridians. Okay, you can wake up now. None of the above […]
State agency wades into political battle over FL’s abortion-rights amendment
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration launched a webpage Thursday bashing the proposed state constitutional amendment to restore abortion access beyond six weeks, prompting Florida Democrats to call out the use of state funds against the measure. The agency’s secretary, Jason Weida, wrote on X that the page is meant to “combat lies and […]
FL congressional Dems want investigation into aborted Florida parks plan
Five Democratic members of Congress are calling on Gov. Ron DeSantis to order an independent investigation into what (if any) state procedures were violated in his administration’s state parks scheme, and which private groups lobbied for and stood to benefit had the plan gone through. The move came a week after DeSantis shut down the […]
Former US Rep. Liz Cheney says she’s voting for Kamala Harris
Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney used her trip to the battleground state of North Carolina to announce she is voting for Vice President Kamala Harris. “Donald Trump cannot be trusted with the power of the presidency,” Cheney said during a lecture at Duke University on Wednesday called “Defending Democracy.” “I don’t believe that we have […]
PSC workshop kicks off discussion about adding nuclear power to FL’s energy portfolio
Could an increase in nuclear power generation be a part of Florida’s energy future? That possibility was discussed Thursday during a workshop held by the Florida Public Service Commission in Tallahassee under a legislative directive passed earlier this year about the possibility of using advanced nuclear technologies. At present, natural gas fuels approximately 75% of […]
Secret Florida water summit lets polluters talk to government without press or public present
If I were the king of Florida, there’d be a statue of J. Emory “Red” Cross in front of every government building. Red Cross was a state senator from Gainesville who became the Father of the Sunshine Law. Cross was a classic Florida character. He strolled the marble halls of Tallahassee clad in a white […]
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The Phoenix is a nonprofit news site that covers state government and politics with a staff of five journalists located at the Florida Press Center in downtown Tallahassee. We have a mix of in-depth stories, briefs, and social media updates on the latest events, editorial cartoons, and progressive commentary. Reporters in many now-shrunken capital bureaus have to spend most of their time these days chasing around after more and more outrageous political behavior, and too many don’t have time to lift up emerging innovative ideas or report on the people who are trying to help solve problems and shift policy for a more compassionate world. The Florida Phoenix does those stories. The Phoenix is part of States Newsroom a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.
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