Tampa Rep. Susan Valdés sponsors bill to create Corrections accountabilty position

The idea has been pushed for several years by criminal justice reform advocates.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix January 8, 2026January 8, 2026

The bill says the legislation is necessary “to create an independent entity as a unit of the legislative branch of state government in order to restore public trust in the department.”

News & Views

Proposed law would require Florida voters to show proof of citizenship

A similar bill died in committee last year.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix January 7, 2026January 8, 2026

A public official in a white suit stands at a podium reading “Ban Congressional Insider Trading,” speaking to an audience in front of a large U.S. flag as people in the crowd clap in the foreground.

News & Views

Pinellas Republican wants to ban congressional stock trading

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has been battling with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to force a vote on the issue.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix January 7, 2026January 7, 2026

A public official wearing a light-colored jacket speaks to reporters outside a government building, surrounded by microphones and cameras held by members of the press, with several people standing nearby.

News & Views

Florida Republican wants to ban public colleges from admitting undocumented students

SB 1052 instructs public colleges and universities to exclusively admit students who are ‘citizen[s] of the United States” or “lawfully present therein.’

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix January 7, 2026January 7, 2026

A minimalist conceptual image where green, flaky botanical matter spill out of a baggie to create a map of Florida. The clean white background emphasizes the textures of the organic material and the single rolled cigarette placed at the top.

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New Florida bill would make medical marijuana certifications good for two years

Patients are currently required to have a physician certify that they are qualified about every seven months.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix January 5, 2026January 5, 2026

A medium-shot photo of a man in a navy suit speaking into a red-tipped microphone, sitting next to another man in glasses and a tie, with a large American flag visible behind them.

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David Jolly campaign says its raised more than $3 million in race to be Florida governor

That number pales in comparison to the $40 million Republican Byron Donalds’ gubernatorial campaign announced last month.

by Mitch Perry January 5, 2026January 5, 2026

A roadside memorial featuring a bicycle painted entirely white, known as a "ghost bike," chained to a utility pole on a sunny sidewalk. A wooden sign attached to the frame displays the handwritten name "Jan Felix Muller" along with dates ranging from 1998 to 2024. Artificial white and peach-colored flowers decorate the rear wheel, and the background shows a street corner with signs pointing toward "Downtown," "FSU," and the "Tallahassee International Airport," alongside a brick church.

News & Views

Florida isn’t getting safer for cyclists

There have been 185 bicycling fatalities this year (along with 9,277 injuries from bicycle crashes), per state data.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix December 19, 2025December 19, 2025

News & Views

Nikki Fried: Ingoglia is ‘bullying local governments’

She criticized his proposal to allow the removal of local officials for “financial abuse.”

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix December 19, 2025December 19, 2025

A bald man in a blue suit stands at a podium speaking into a microphone during a formal event. The podium features a prominent orange sign that reads "FAFO AUDIT." Behind the speaker, American and Florida state flags are displayed, while the backs of seated audience members frame the foreground.

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In Tampa, Ingoglia proposes legislation to remove elected officials for ‘financial abuse’

He’d win authority to recommend removal of any elected official for ‘financial abuse, malfeasance or misfeasance.’

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix December 18, 2025December 18, 2025

News & Views

Tampa-based CAIR-Florida sues DeSantis after ‘terrorist’ designation

The Muslim civil-rights organization claims the governor’s order blocking the group from state resources is unconstitutional.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix December 16, 2025December 16, 2025

News & Views

Nikki Fried: ‘The pendulum is swinging towards Democrats’ after Miami victory

Florida Dems are focused on flipping Tampa Bay congressional seats.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix December 11, 2025December 11, 2025

A serious portrait of a person taken in a soft focus outdoor setting, with a subtle tattoo visible on the neck. The subject is wearing a backwards baseball cap and an orange jacket over a white tank top.

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Florida Panhandle men’s prison has ‘culture of violence,’ two-year investigation alleges

The report by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) examines Gulf Correctional Institution near Wewahitchka.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix December 8, 2025December 8, 2025

A close-up shot of two people engaged in conversation or an interview at a political rally. One individual is speaking emphatically while the other is listening intently, framed by large campaign signs.

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David Jolly appears with Gwen Graham in St. Pete, sparking talk about his gubernatorial running mate

Progressive critics see a Jolly-Graham ticket as ‘a pathetic retreat, not a step forward.’

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix December 8, 2025December 8, 2025

A professional photo of an African American woman at a legislative session or meeting, holding a microphone and addressing the room. She has an engaged expression. In the background is a large abstract blue painting, and seated participants are blurred in the foreground.

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Tampa Rep. Fentrice Driskell calls Trump plan to redraw congressional map ‘illegal’

Florida’s Fair District amendments prohibit line-drawing that intentionally favors or disfavors a political party or incumbent.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix December 1, 2025December 1, 2025

Nighttime protest scene where a woman holds a large sign that reads "BRING THIS CHILD HOME NOW! MOHAMMED IBRAHIM" with a photo of the boy in the center. Other protesters and city lights are visible in the background.

News & Views

Palestinian-American teen with Tampa ties has been released from Israeli prison

CAIR and CAIR-Florida are calling on the State Department, members of Congress, faith leaders, and civil-society organizations to press for a full public accounting of Ibrahim’s treatment and ‘concrete consequences for the Israeli officials responsible.’

by Ray Roa, Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix December 1, 2025December 1, 2025

News & Views

Campbell’s says it uses ‘100% real chicken’ after AG Uthmeier moves to investigate

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix November 26, 2025November 26, 2025

Cragin Mosteller, Steven Geller, and Lee Constantine seated on a stage at the Florida Association of Counties 2025 Legislative Conference in Tampa. The backdrop reads "CONNECTING COUNTIES" and "2025 LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE."

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In Tampa, county leaders say Florida ‘DOGE’ audits lack context, including state mandated spending

‘This whole thing is a made-for-television event, and it’s specifically made for television for the CFO’s reelection.’

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix November 24, 2025November 24, 2025

Close-up of a white Official Election Mail envelope with a red stripe reading "OFFICIAL VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOTING MATERIAL" in English and Spanish across the center.

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Once again, Florida election supervisors are asking lawmakers to make it easier to vote by mail

The request was one of just seven that the organization representing Florida’s 67 supervisors of elections made Wednesday to the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix November 20, 2025November 20, 2025