Florida is holding elections, including for Tampa City Council, on March 7, 2023. A number of candidates running in these elections completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office. Below is a selection of responses from the candidates who filled…
The Florida Supreme Court issued one opinion from Feb. 6-12. As of Feb. 12, the court issued 10 opinions in 2023—10 fewer than this point a year ago. The one opinion is below: Parrish v. State Farm Fla. Insurance Co. From Feb. 6-12, state supreme courts issued 195 opinions nationally. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) issued one executive order from Feb. 6-12. As of Feb. 12, DeSantis has issued 34 executive orders in 2023—one more than he did at this point a year ago. Governors use executive orders to manage executive branch operations. During the week of Feb. 6-12, the nation’s governors issued seven executive…
The special primary election for Florida House of Representatives District 24 is on March 7, 2023. Justin Albright, Ryan Chamberlin, Jose Juarez, Stephen Pyles, and Charlie Stone are competing to advance to the general election scheduled for May 16. The filing deadline to run passed on Jan. 10. The special election was called after Rep.…
The general election for Tampa, Florida, is on March 7, 2023. The filing deadline to run passed on Jan. 20. Candidates are competing for seven of seven city council seats, and all seven incumbents are running for re-election. Candidates are also competing for mayor of Tampa. Incumbent Jane Castor and Belinda Noah are running in…
Elections for Tampa’s mayor and six of the seven city council members, as well as four charter amendments referred to the ballot by the city council, will be held on March 7. The charter amendments would: *provide that the mayor’s nominations for department heads and other city employees must be approved by four of the…
The Florida Supreme Court issued four opinions from Jan. 30-Feb. 5. As of Feb. 5, the court issued nine opinions in 2023—six fewer than this point a year ago. The four opinions are below: In Re: Amendments to Florida Probate Rules 5.040, 5.330, and 5.930 In Re: Amendments to Rules Regulating The Florida Bar –…
In Florida, a campaign supporting a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana, Smart and Safe Florida, has raised $20 million. Funding is from Trulieve Cannabis Corp., a marijuana business that operates in several states, including Florida. The campaign is collecting signatures to place the initiative on the ballot for Nov. 5, 2024. The initiative would legalize…
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) on January 17, 2023, announced a legislative proposal to permanently ban mandates relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in the state. He stated that the legislation would aim to “permanently protect Floridians from losing their jobs due to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, protects parents’ rights, and institutes additional protections that prevent discrimination…
A new appellate court district has been established in Florida following a November 2021 recommendation by the Florida Supreme Court to redraw the district court boundaries. In June 2022, the Florida Legislature passed HB 7027, which was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), to establish the court effective January 1, 2023. The Sixth District Court…