Boom ... Even as it appears the battle against last year's pot amendment triggered a criminal probe ... there are now questions surrounding actions by the DeSantis administration with the 26 measure ... politico.com/news/2025/10/1…

In a court filing this a.m. the Department of Homeland Security states it has "not implemented, authorized, directed or funded" the Everglades detention center aka "Alligator Alcatraz." "Florida is constructing and operating the facility using state funds on state lands..." DHS told press outlets it signed off on a plan to create detention centers in Fla submitted it to by Fla & that funding would come from a FEMA grant program. A top FEMA official says in court filing that there is money available but Fla has not yet applied for $ & isn't approved

In a searing 21-minute speech @GovRonDeSantis ripped into Fla House R's during a RPOF gathering at the mansion on Monday. Gov called House GOP petty and and said they were “joining with the Democrats to oppose me than doing what’s right" .... DeSantis remarks - which have been posted online - also feature him lambasting @RepCassel & suggesting she is pushing bills designed to help her practice as a trial attorney. He said that the House is trying to help "liberal" attorneys this session

Here's something for your 25 session radar: A higher education bill sponsored by @michellesalzman & @AlexisMCalatayu was filed late this week. Lots of changes to note but here's the 1st big one: It repeals the records/meeting exemption for the hiring of university presidents ... The legislation also would remove the ability of the Fla Board of Governors to ratify the selection of new university presidents. That would now be the sole province of university boards ...

Jason Pizzo may leave his mark in Tallahassee. But not the way you may think.
via @POLITICOProsubscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025/0… The Senate Democratic leader, now one of the wealthiest members of the Legislature, last year put together a deal putting him in control of prime downtown Tallahassee real estate located right across the street from the Capitol.

Two GOP Fla House representatives want to put a constitutional amendment on the 2026 ballot that would eliminate the position of lieutenant governor ... a post that was created as part of 1968 Constitution bc of what happened in the 50s when Gov. Dan McCarty died in office ... This amendment (HJR 1325) proposed by Reps. Sirois and Synder would also weaken the power of the governor when it comes to decisions made by the Fla Cabinet

Several GOP Fla legislators are privately frustrated about Monday special session because they say they have been unable to fill any bills so far. The House system is not accepting bills at all so far while none of the ones filed on Senate side have shown up as of yet ... but.. A spokesperson for the Senate said that they had bill drafting staff in place until 7 last night. They did not come in today, but will be in place tomorrow. Also no one has called the Senate secretary to question what's going on ...

so a little process 101. Legislative leaders said they don't want a special session this month. @GovRonDeSantis made it official though and filed the session proclamation last night. What happens now? Well ... Legislators will be required to show up for the special session on Jan. 27. But then what happens next is the big question ... Legislators could theoretically gavel in the special session, read the notice from governor ... and then vote to end he special session ...

There's some interesting chatter coming out of DC regarding the resignation of @mattgaetz & Congress with House Speaker Johnson suggesting that @GovRonDeSantis could call a special election and maybe CD 1 could be filled by January. Well, that could prove a tad difficult ... Florida law has various deadlines regarding qualifying, primary elections and general elections. For example, Fla requires separate primary & general election. It requires advertising before qualifying, overseas ballot deadlines (which is imp in Gaetz' military-heavy district)...

Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey dismissed with prejudice a lawsuit filed by @senpizzo challenging @MyFDOT ads on marijuana. Pizzo lawsuit contended ads were designed to urge voters to say no on Amendment 3. Dempsey ruled that Pizzo lacked standing to bring case & ... Dempsey, who previously ruled that @GovRonDeSantis had executive privilege on records, also contended the lawsuit failed to state a claim. FWIW - the law firm that defended FDOT is same firm representing people trying to get Amendment 4 tossed from ballot

Fla @GovRonDeSantis announces that he will award $8 million to Miami-Dade County to help pay for a roadway that will serve Miami Freedom Park, the stadium under construction that will be the next home of @InterMiamiCF .... DeSantis notes that Fla doesn't offer $ directly to sports franchises. Well .... actually ... Fla previously approved payments for several sports stadiums/facilities and some of the payments are still ongoing

Florida to tear down historic property as part of security boost for DeSantis subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2024/0… Budget amendments available online show that that in the past year, the state has spent nearly $2.6 million to purchase three pieces of property near the mansion as well as related appraisals and other costs

Late this afternoon @theACC delivered to @AGAshleyMoody more than 200 pages of records including agreements btw the conference & @espn There's chunks of the records that have been redacted bc the ACC asserts they are trade secrets ... For example, the ACC blacked out such items as the definition of "conference territory" as well the amount of $ ESPN was obligated to pay the conference. The docs date back to 2010 and include several extensions, new agreements ...

A federal judge permanently shut down a significant piece of Florida’s so-called Stop Woke Act on Friday, delivering a devastating blow to a signature law pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to restrict workplace trainings about race. by @ALAtterbury subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2024/0… Passed by the GOP-dominated Legislature in 2022, it expanded state anti-discrimination laws to target lessons over subjects like “white privilege." But Florida has never been able to enforce the "anti-woke" law for businesses due to legal challenges

And now for a little bit of Tallahassee-centric political content ... A PC getting into the thick of this year's city commission races has sent to Democratic voters a mailer that attempts to link @JackPorterTLH to Republicans such as Trump and MTG ... Porter did get aid from Republican-linked PCs back in her initial run for city commission. But Porter and fellow city commissioner @JeremyMatlowTLH represent the progressive wing of the city commission often at odds w other Democrats on commission

And that's a wrap. @GovRonDeSantis has finally acted on all the bills from the 2024 session. Among the final batch DeSantis signed was a contentious bill on short-term loans that one of his allies @GovGoneWild Sen. Blaise Ingoglia said was akin to legalizing loan sharking The bill that DeSantis signed that raises interest rates on loans passed the Senate on a 21-18 vote & several Republican legislators in opposition

During press conference @GovRonDeSantis was asked about veto of $26m in cultural/arts grants. He said he did it because some money would have gone to "inappropriate" outfits such as the "Fringe Festival" & the Legislature needs to "reevaluate" how's that done ... background .. The Legislature sets aside money for projects that go through a process that includes evaluation by a council appointed by the governor/Legislature. The Sec. of State - also appointed by governor - also reviews list before it goes to Legislature files.floridados.gov/media/706640/g…

Seeking clarification but it looks like @GovRonDeSantis may have vetoed nearly $57m used to pay for support services for the entire Florida Legislature. The aim may have been to wipe out a study dealing with credit card fees being paid for out of this line item. But still.. Legislature is evaluating the impact of this veto. But the 57m DeSantis vetoed is used to pay for lobbyist registration, IT for Legislature, legislative auditors, the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, joint committees ...

A hearing scheduled this morning in the Washington Post lawsuit against the Fla. Dept of Law Enforcement & @GovRonDeSantis administration was scrapped this a.m. after Judge Angela Dempsey recused herself ... Dempsey was supposed to hold a hearing on a request by FDLE and the gov office to shield a handful of top aides including Alex Kelly, who had been the governor's interim chief of staff, from being deposed in the lawsuit. A hearing on the underlying case was scheduled for April

DeSantis' chartered jet trade mission around the world cost nearly $1.6 million via @politico Enterprise Fla. said only private money was used for mission that included use of 2 chartered jetspoliti.co/3rISzEs In a summary about the mission Enterprise Fla asserted that it needed to use charter jets for DeSantis' trade mission that included stops in Japan, S. Korea, Israel and U.K.

The president of @FloridaState tells board of trustees that without a "radical" change of revenue distribution FSU needs to "seriously" look at leaving the ACC FSU President McCullough says he and other top officials have spent the past year looking at "every possible option"