Category: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

DeSantis Announces $144 Million Boost for Rural Broadband in Florida

Following up on his release of Florida’s proposed 2023-24 budget, Gov. Ron DeSantis is putting $144 million toward improving broadband internet access for under-served areas of the state. Speaking in Milton on Feb. 2, DeSantis presented a ceremonial check for almost $2.4 million to Santa Rosa County Communities to put 791 unserved locations online with…


DeSantis Proposes $114.8 Billion Florida Budget With State Employee Raises, New Tax Exemptions and Strong Reserves

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed a $114.8 billion state budget for 2023-24. Calling it the Framework for Freedom Budget, DeSantis, who spoke at the state Capitol on Feb. 1, used it to showcase the state’s strengths under his leadership. “Florida’s focus on freedom has led us to outpace the nation on all fronts,” DeSantis…


DeSantis Proposes $7 Billion Plan to Fight Florida Traffic Congestion, Improve Safety

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a $7 billion initiative on Jan. 30 to speed up 20 infrastructure projects over the next four years to accommodate the growing number of people who rely on the state’s roadways. Speaking at a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) office in Auburndale, DeSantis said the Moving Florida Forward plan would…


DeSantis Seeking Tougher Penalties for Making Fentanyl and Sex Crimes Against Children

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced proposed legislation on Jan. 26 for a battery of law-and-order initiatives. Speaking at a press conference in Miami, the Republican governor told reporters he seeks crackdowns on fentanyl manufacturing and sex offenses against children. He also hopes to make it easier to get a death sentence in a capital case…


DeSantis Proposes Higher Pay and a Bill of Rights For Florida’s Teachers

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proposed a battery of education measures on Jan. 23 that he said would empower teachers, raise their pay, shorten term limits for school board members, and protect teachers from overreaching unions or school districts. Speaking at a charter school in Jacksonville, DeSantis ticked off points in the proposed legislation. Key among…


Thousands Attend Vice President Kamala Harris’s Pro-Abortion Speech in Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—On the day Americans opposed to abortion are celebrating National Sanctity of Life Sunday in their churches, Vice President Kamala Harris announced the Biden administration’s continued commitment to increased access to abortion. Harris delivered the message to a packed house of 2,000 people after at least 1,000 more were turned away at the door…


Judge Criticizes DeSantis But Doesn’t Reinstate Suspended Prosecutor

A federal judge on Jan. 20 declined to reinstate a Tampa-area prosecutor suspended in August 2022 by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Federal Judge Robert L. Hinkle criticized DeSantis throughout a 59-page opinion, saying the governor’s office investigation of suspended State Attorney Andrew Warren was politically motivated and cursory, and the official doing it didn’t even…


DeSantis Admin Requires Universities to Report Transgender Medical Procedures on Students

The administration of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Jan. 11 requested data from state universities on the number of transgender treatments performed on students under 18. The governor made the request in a memo to the chairs of the boards of trustees of all the state universities. Chris Spencer, director of the Governor’s Office of Policy and…


DeSantis Announces $100 Million in Recovery Grants For Hurricane-Hit Beaches

Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded $100 million to support beach recovery projects in counties hard hit by two hurricanes in 2022. Speaking in Daytona Beach Shores, DeSantis allocated money to 16 counties. The amounts ranged from $37.7 million for Volusia County, hard hit by Category 1 Hurricane Nicole, and $23.1 million for Lee County, the…


DeSantis Moves to Lower Prescription Drug Prices, Regulate ‘Middlemen’

In a bid to bring down prescription drug prices in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, on Jan. 12, announced initiatives aimed at drug manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the companies that act as middlemen in the process. The measures, which he’ll work with the legislature to carry out, “will protect consumers and increase accountability,” the…