Tag Archives: Ron DeSantis

DeSantis Tells Supporters: Please Don’t Write Me In

Florida Politics reports: Florida’s Governor may have wanted people to support him for President this time last year during his attempt to get the GOP presidential nomination. But with that option long since foreclosed to him, Ron DeSantis is discouraging Republicans and others who may be dispirited about Donald Trump from marking his name down as a misguided protest vote. …

Read More »

DeSantis Claims That Cops Won’t Stop Weed Smoking In Restaurants Because “They’ll End Up Getting Sued”

Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis is alleging that legalizing marijuana inevitably means police won’t stop weed smokers lighting up at commercial restaurants. “Law enforcement is not going to,” DeSantis said. “They’re not going to spend time policing whether it’s being used in a restaurant or not if it’s a constitutional right. They’re just going to want to stay out …

Read More »

DeSantis Holds Anti-Abortion Rally At State Expense

The Associated Press reports: After a month of updating Floridians on hurricanes, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is now focusing his official office on fighting an abortion rights amendment, holding a campaign-like rally at state expense two weeks before the election. DeSantis’ event Monday, which was capped with a prayer from the archbishop of Miami and the lieutenant governor asking people …

Read More »

POLL: Two-Thirds Back Florida Weed Ballot Measure

Florida Politics reports: Roughly 2 in 3 Florida voters plan to vote to legalize recreational pot in November. That’s according to a new poll from the University of North Florida’s (UNF) Public Opinion Research Lab (PORL). That poll found higher support for Amendment 3, which would legalize marijuana use by adults age 21 and older, than for amendments on lifting …

Read More »

DeSantis Lawyer Quits Over Threats To TV Stations

The Miami Herald reports: When he abruptly resigned from his post last week, the top attorney for the Florida Department of Health suggested in a resignation letter that he was uncomfortable with decisions taken by the state agency, which days earlier had threatened to prosecute television stations over political advertisements. “A man is nothing without his conscience,” John Wilson wrote. …

Read More »

Federal Judge: DeSantis Can’t Prosecute Outlets Over Abortion Ads, Rules “It’s The First Amendment, Stupid”

The Florida Phoenix reports: A federal judge temporarily barred the DeSantis administration from intimidating and coercing television stations that air ads in support of the proposed Amendment 4, which would bar government interference in abortion. The ruling stops Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo as the head of the Florida Department of Health from acting against broadcasters the department has already threatened …

Read More »

Census Data Shows Migration To Florida Is Plummeting

Via press release from the AARP: Recent statistics reveal concerning shifts in migration patterns, and since this data reflects 2023, it predates the peak of the property insurance crisis, the recent challenges posed by new homeowner association rules, the aftermath of two major hurricanes and the rising cost of housing in our state. In 2023, the Census reports, Florida’s net …

Read More »

Station Caves To DeSantis’s Threats About Abortion Ad

Florida Politics reports: A Fort Myers TV station acquiesced and stopped playing pro-abortion rights ads after a Department of Health (DOH) lawyer threatened Florida TV stations with criminal prosecution. It’s a revelation in a new First Amendment lawsuit as the political committee supporting the Amendment 4 abortion rights initiative sued a pair of state officials Wednesday in federal court. Floridians …

Read More »

Florida Claims Abortion Petition Signatures Are Invalid

The Tallahassee Democrat reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis’ latest attempt to defeat the abortion rights ballot measure, known as Amendment 4, emerged in a report from the office of his elections chief, alleging a host of violations involving the campaign’s petition signature-gathering. The 348-page report comes from the office of Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd, a Republican former state House …

Read More »

Florida Universities Cull Hundreds Of “Woke” Courses

Politico reports: Florida’s public universities are purging the list of general education courses they will offer next year to fall in line with a state law pushed for by Gov. Ron DeSantis targeting “woke ideologies” in higher education. The state’s involvement in a curriculum process — which has historically been left to universities — is riling academics and students who …

Read More »

DeSantis Blows Off Biden’s Tour Of Hurricane Damage

Politico reports: Ron DeSantis skipped meeting with Joe Biden on Sunday, the second time in as many weeks that the Republican governor did not meet with the outgoing Democratic president while in Florida touring storm damage. Biden traveled to the state to survey the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, which wreaked havoc on Florida earlier this week. Biden told reporters before …

Read More »

REPORT: DeSantis Staged Debris Pile For Relief Presser

The Daily Beast reports: Florida’s Democratic chairwoman posted footage alleging hurricane debris was deliberately being placed behind an area where the Florida governor was set to hold a press conference. DeSantis was visiting Treasure Island–a community that weathered both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton–when Nikki Fried posted footage of what appeared to be workers piling debris from the aftermath directly …

Read More »

FL Makes Last-Ditch Bid To Kill Abortion Measure

Salon reports: In a last-minute effort to kill a proposed ballot amendment that would restore abortion rights in Florida, state officials are accusing a group that gathered signatures to get the amendment on this year’s ballot fraud. Florida Deputy Secretary of State Brad McVay claimed in a 348-page report released on Friday night that Floridians Protecting Freedom paid out-of-state petition …

Read More »

DeSantis: Government Has No Right To Stop People From Rebuilding In Areas Highly Prone To Flooding

“People had their property. They have a right to do with what they want to do with it. And it is tough when you have two back-to-back storms. No question. “The reality is people work their whole lives and work hard to be able to live in environments that are really, really nice. “And they have a right to make …

Read More »

DeSantis: Climate Change Had Nothing Do With Milton

Florida Politics reports: Despite the massive onslaught of tornadoes from this late-season storm, DeSantis noted that it is “kind of normal” with each storm and “to be expected” that with “every hurricane we have a lot of tornadoes spun off,” as “things churn off with these weather systems.” And climate change or global warming? Nothing to do with it, said …

Read More »

DeSantis: “If You Think You’re Going To Loot” After The Hurricane, Remember “We’re A 2nd Amendment State”

Florida Politics reports: Another hurricane brings another unambiguous assertion of Floridians’ right to self-defense from the state’s Governor. “If you think you’re going to go in and loot, you got another thing coming,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a briefing at the state’s Emergency Operations Center. “If you go into somebody’s house after the storm passes, think that you’re going …

Read More »

DeSantis Attacks Harris After Refusing Her Calls: “It’s Not About You, Kamala, I Have Zero Time For Games”

“It’s not about you, Kamala. It’s about the people of Florida. My focus is exactly where it should be. And I can tell you this. I’ve worked on these hurricanes under both President Trump and President Biden. Neither of them ever tried to politicize it. She has never called on any of the storms we’ve had since she’s been vice …

Read More »

DeSantis Refuses To Take Storm Relief Call From Harris

NBC News reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is not taking calls from Vice President Kamala Harris about storm recovery just over a week after Hurricane Helene hammered parts of his state. A source familiar with the situation said he was dodging the Democratic presidential nominee’s calls because they “seemed political,” according to a DeSantis aide. “Kamala was trying to reach …

Read More »

DeSantis Threatens To Prosecute Television Stations That Run Ad In Support Of Abortion Ballot Measure

The Meidas Touch reports: Since the abortion ballot initiative was first announced (Amendment 4), Ron DeSantis has been on a crusade to put the thumb on the scale to defeat it. The problem is that he continues to use the power of the state to do it. Now, DeSantis has taking his fascistic leanings to the next level. The Florida …

Read More »

DeSantis Declares Emergency Ahead Of Hurricane

The Tallahassee Democrat reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Milton, which could bring Category 3 winds and surge, or worst, to the Florida peninsula. Areas at the greatest risk are communities still reeling from last month’s Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Ian in 2022. Milton is expected to rapidly intensify over the next 36 …

Read More »