Florida Politics

An Apopka family has been torn apart by deportation. Esvin Juarez, a small business owner and father of four U.S.-citizen children, was detained when he showed up to his immigration check-in, disappeared for eight days, and later deported to Guatemala. Mr. Juarez was well into the process of receiving a U visa, a protected status afforded to victims of crime. His wife, Rosmeri Miranda, was detained on Thursday and faces deportation. Their children, including 21-year-old Beverly Juarez, now face life without their parents.

More than a month after the annual Florida legislative session was scheduled to end, lawmakers are still working to finalize a state budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1. Leaders hope to get a deal done in the coming days. In other Florida political headlines, the push to bring the NASA headquarters to the state is still on. Dr. Larry Walker, associate professor at the University of Central Florida, joins Good Day Orlando to discuss.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at the 81st Annual Convention of the Florida Professional Firefighters on Thursday morning in Palm Beach Gardens. At the event, DeSantis signed a bill that he said will strengthen the state's commitment to the health and safety of its firefighters. HB 929 continues the course of action taken by the governor earlier this year when he signed legislation to protect firefighters injured in training exercises.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke on Wednesday afternoon at the Florida Education Commissioner's Summit in Miami, Florida. At the event, DeSantis said that higher education has lost its way and spoke out about revising tenures at universities.

On Tuesday, a Florida federal judge halted enforcement of a law in Florida that would have barred most social media platforms from allowing young children to have accounts, saying it is a violation of the First Amendment’s protections on free speech. The measure was one of the most restrictive bans in the U.S. on social media use by children when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law in 2024.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hosted a press conference with health care leaders on Thursday morning in Fort Myers. At the event, DeSantis announced his plans to veto a bill concerning medical malpractice lawsuits, specifically regarding the recovery of damages for adult children in cases of medical negligence resulting in death. DeSantis also shared positive opinions on the announcement U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made earlier this week that COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced his plans to veto a bill concerning medical malpractice lawsuits, specifically regarding the recovery of damages for adult children in cases of medical negligence resulting in death. The bill being vetoed is HB 6017, which seeks to repeal a 1990 Florida law that restricts who can sue for non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, in medical malpractice cases when the victim is 25 years or older. Critics of the law refer to it as the "free kill" law.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and leaders in health care spoke Thursday morning in Fort Myers. At the event, DeSantis started his comments by sharing shared positive opinions on the announcement U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made earlier this week that COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. The controversial announcement was made weeks before a CDC advisory panel was set to weigh in.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is hosting a press conference with First Lady Casey DeSantis at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at The Vault in Tampa. The pair are discussing Hope Florida's partnerships with local state businesses.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hosted a press conference at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 15, at Simpson Lakes in Dade City. Although the main topic of the event was the signing of a new ill to protect against forced medication and to bolster agriculture, DeSantis discussed the death penalty during the question and answer segment of the event.