Florida Politics

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Wednesday that Florida is establishing a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission at the state level. The governor’s announcement came at a news conference in Valrico on Wednesday morning. The initiative mirrors that of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the federal level.

On this Playbook Tuesday with POLITICO Florida, Florida Playbook author Kimberly Leonard joins FOX 35's Garrett Wymer to break down Blaise Ingoglia officially launching his campaign for Florida CFO and today's Special Elections for two seats in the State Legislature representing parts of Orange County, as well as the latest on lawsuits against Alligator Alcatraz.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answered questions from reporters on Tuesday in Orlando. DeSantis touched on Florida's immigration detention facility named "Alligator Alcatraz," saying the center is running, and deportations are continuing. A federal court hearing concerning the legal rights of detainees at the immigration facility is set for Thursday.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answered questions from reporters on Tuesday morning in Orlando. DeSantis spoke out against the people who have been repainting the rainbow crosswalk near the Pulse site, saying "you do not have a right to take someone else's property for your messaging purposes." DeSantis also said he's approved funding for the Pulse Memorial and questions where it's gone and why something hasn't been done.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins spoke on Tuesday morning in Orlando. During the event, the pair highlight the State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication (SAFE) program to fight fentanyl. According to state officials, the SAFE program's funding has enabled law enforcement to seize hundreds of pounds of fentanyl and has contributed to a notable decrease in opioid-related deaths in Florida.

A hearing for a rainbow crosswalk in Delray Beach, Florida, is taking place on Tuesday. The city is fighting to keep its crosswalk as the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) says it must be removed by Wednesday.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced more than $38 million in awards to 19 small and rural communities in the Sunshine State through the Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Since 2019, Florida has awarded more than $138 million to over 120 communities through this program.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier hosted a press conference on Wednesday afternoon in Lake Worth. The two leaders announced that they have each drafted a letter to the Trump administration requesting the consideration of granting Florida an additional seat in the U.S. House. The lawmakers are seeking a potential mid-decade redistricting to create this extra seat, which would likely be filled by a Republican.

On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost held a press conference outside the Everglades detention center in Florida dubbed ?Alligator Alcatraz,? ahead of a state-approved tour of the facility. The press conference comes as a recent court ruling has partially dismissed a lawsuit over detainees? access to legal counsel and basic constitutional rights. The case has now been transferred to the Middle District of Florida.

FOX 35's John Brown and Garrett Wymer break down the top stories of the day, from Florida's Deportation Depot immigration detention facility in North Florida, the state attorney's office deciding not to press charges in the viral arrest of William McNeil in Jacksonville, 3 OUC employees injured in a substation incident in Downtown Orlando and a boat driver sentenced to jail for a Christmas boat parade crash.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced his plans to expand the state's capacity to detain and deport undocumented immigrants through a new "Deportation Depot." DeSantis said he's confident Florida needs additional capacity to host undocumented immigrants in addition to "Alligator Alcatraz" in South Florida. The new "Deportation Depot" will be able to hold more than 1,300 detainees with the same services offered as Alligator Alcatraz.