Florida
DeSantis’ hold on Florida Is slipping. Trump could deliver the final blow
Governor DeSantis began to accumulate power during the COVID-19 pandemic and became especially popular among conservative Republicans in Florida and across the country.
He allowed businesses to reopen, required in-person education earlier than most other states, and took a strong stance against vaccine and mask mandates. He then began his attacks on critical race theory, DEI, and other “woke” policies which were even more popular with conservatives.
Lots of conservatives began moving to the “Free State of Florida,” he was able to raise more than $200 million of dollars for his reelection—a record for any governors race in the U.S.—Florida voter registration and voting became much more Republican, DeSantis won a 2nd term in a landslide—the highest percent of the vote for a Republican candidate in Florida history. DeSantis’ national profile rose and he eventually ran against Trump.
During this 5-year period, the legislature stopped acting like an independent branch of government: partly because many Republican members and the leadership agreed with his conservative policies but also partly because they feared DeSantis because of his popularity, his money, his vetoes, and his reputation for political vindictiveness.
Some examples of this are attacking Disney for speaking out against the Don’t Say Gay Bill, removing elected local government officials over policy and political disagreements, vetoing the legislative priorities of the leadership and then making a joke about it while they were on stage with him, and threatening to go after Republicans who disagreed with him in primary elections.
But now, the legislature is seeking to reassert itself as an independent branch of government that acts as a check and balance to the executive. This is happening now because the new House Speaker and Senate President have decided that the legislature needs to reassert itself as it has traditionally done.
In the two decades before DeSantis—and even in his first year—the legislature and governor’s office have been controlled by Republicans. They often agreed on policy, but sometimes they had differences, and the governor treated the legislature with respect and as an equal branch.
It is also happening now because Governor DeSantis’ perceived power has gone down: he ran against Trump and lost by a wide margin which reduced DeSantis’ aura of invincibility—he is a lame duck governor with 2 years left who cannot run for reelection—and he does not have $200 million to threaten members.
Photo Illustration by Newsweek/Getty Images
The governor precipitated this political reckoning when he insisted on calling a special session just 5 weeks before the legislature would meet in regular session and doing so with little advance notice or consultation with the Senate President and House Speaker who had made clear they did not think it was necessary to do so.
Objectively, the legislature’s bill is not “weak” on illegal immigration. It creates a bunch of new policies to crack down on illegal immigration in Florida making life much harder for people living here without documentation and much easier for them to be removed by the federal government with much more assistance from the state.
It is different than the governor’s bill in several major ways, including putting oversight and enforcement of the new law under the Commissioner of Agriculture instead of the governor, it requires law enforcement to use their best efforts to cooperate with federal immigration authorities but does not threaten law enforcement with job loss or financial penalties, and it would not track and/or make it unlawful for undocumented people to wire money to family back in their home country.
Politically, this is bringing Florida back to what we have normally seen—and what is found in most states over time. The legislature is a coequal branch of government with the executive branch. But we don’t know for sure what will happen yet and DeSantis could yet impose his will on the legislature.
The big unknown currently is Donald Trump. If he takes a side the fight will likely end pretty quickly, and if he sides with the governor, the legislature will almost certainly back down. If he backs the legislature than DeSantis’ political reputation will take a big hit. If Trump stays out of the fight, then it might be a long battle, but DeSantis will clearly be politically weaker than he has been and his political prospects for the future somewhat dimmer.
If there is a big crackdown on illegal immigration in Florida across the board then it will hurt the state’s economy. There are an estimated 800,000 undocumented or illegal immigrants in Florida and most of them are working in agriculture, construction, and the service industry like hotels and restaurants.
Aubrey Jewett, PhD, is Associate Director and Associate Professor in the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs at the University of Central Florida and the co-author of Politics in Florida, 5th edition.
All views expressed are the author’s own.
TAMPA, Fla – New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.
What we know:
These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.
Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.
Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.
“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”
Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.
“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”
The other side:
This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
What they’re saying:
Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.
“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.
This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.
“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”
The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.
Big picture view:
The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.
The Source: Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.
“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.
What to expect
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
- 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
- 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
- Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.
For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.
Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.
Other Friday highlights included:
- 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
- 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
- 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.
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