New legislation has been filed to increase accountability for juveniles in the criminal justice system. HB 1181 and SB 1274 propose harsher restrictions that ensure youth comply with the terms and conditions of court-ordered sanctions for gun offenses.

Representative Berny Jacques (R) who filed the House bill highlighted that under Governor Ron DeSantis Florida was experiencing a "50-year low in crime.

"Florida is experiencing a 50-year low in crime, but there’s always more we can do to keep Floridians safe. One area we can work on is holding juveniles who commit gun crimes more accountable," stated Rep. Jacques." Just this past Christmas Eve in my district, two juveniles escalated an argument over Christmas presents into a shootout that left their older sister dead and their nephews motherless. This bill will deliver strong early accountability to prevent senseless tragedies like this one from happening in our state.”

“This bill is a major step forward in our efforts to end juvenile recidivism, keep our streets safe, and make positive impacts in the lives of our youth,” said Senator Jonathan Martin (R) who filed his corresponding bill in the Florida Senate.

Florida is number 1 in the country for innovative, evidence-based approaches to juvenile justice and has benefitted from significant decreases in system-involved youth. In keeping with its mission, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice worked in unison with the Florida Legislature and partners in law enforcement to help craft this important piece of legislation.

“Juveniles who commit crimes involving a firearm are a serious risk to public safety. Strengthening accountability on juvenile firearm offenses is a priority of DJJ and this bill is an important way to build a stronger, safer Florida,” said Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Eric Hall.

The post New Florida Bill Cracks Down on Youth Gun Crimes appeared first on The Floridian.

As Florida saw a mass influx of migration from other states, many have wondered what this means for the future of the state.  Contrary to what is popularly believed, the "Great Sort" indicates that Florida will stay conservative for the near future and possibly beyond.

The "Great Sort" is the idea that Americans move places based on their political ideologies.  People moving to Florida may have done so because they were already conservative and were attracted to the state for its recent Republican resurgence on the national stage, not to mention the fact that Florida does not have a state income tax

Florida gained one vote in the electoral college for the upcoming 2024 election, but this metric does not capture the magnitude of migration to Florida.  Experts say Florida has experienced its largest population growth ever this year.

The Florida Legislature's Office of Economic and Demographic Research disclosed research this week that showed the state's estimated population in April was 22,634,867, an increase of roughly 359,000 people, or 1.61 percent, from the previous year.  In fact, the number of people moving to Florida from other states in the United States is at its highest point ever.

Republican voters have worried that this may mean that new Floridians may be bringing their ideologies from states like New York and California with them.  However, there has been no reason to believe this so far.

Many of those new residents may have been attracted to Florida because they see it as a right-leaning state, stated J. Miles Coleman, an associate editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, highlighted by Governor Ron DeSantis’ (R-FL) position on COVID-19 restrictions which catapulted him to national prominence.

"Given Florida’s reputation, or at least what DeSantis has tried to sell it as, with the ‘Free State of Florida’ [slogan] … if I’m a retiree, that’s what I associate Florida with," Coleman said.

With the Culture War seeing its epicenter in Florida, it is very hard to believe Liberal voters from populated states like Michigan or New York would see Florida as an appealing place to land.  DeSantis and the state of Florida are simply attracting voters who buy into their brand, which should cement Florida's conservative reputation for quite a while.

The post Florida to Remain 'Red' After Mass Migration From Blue States appeared first on The Floridian.

Christmas is just around the corner and as American politicians campaign for president in early voting and caucus states like Iowa and New Hampshire, Florida Senate Leader Pro Tempore Jason Pizzo was in Israel assessing the death and destruction left behind by Hamas terrorists, and ducking to safety as missiles rained down over Tel Aviv.

Sen. Pizzo had just finished is listening  tour of universities and colleges around the state of Florida.

According to Senator Pizzo’s accounting of his past week in Israel on “X,” he arrived over the weekend and visited survivors of the Kibbutz Be’eri, a community that saw more than 100 of its residents murdered during the October 7 terrorist attack, and then heard Israel Defense Forces tanks firing rounds “almost every minute” into Hamas-controlled sections of the Gaza Strip.

In addition, Pizzo met with the family of Hersch Goldberg-Polin, who was severely injured during the attack and still suspected of being held hostage in Gaza.

The victims of the Nova Music Festival, in Re’im. pic.twitter.com/OXyhZtxv6Y

— Sen. Jason Pizzo (@senpizzo) December 20, 2023

Goldberg-Polin had his left arm partially blown off after Hamas terrorists threw hand grenades into the bomb shelter he and others were hiding in.

Pizzo was able to see the destruction left behind by the Hamas attack, but when he had to “shelter” in a stairwell of an apartment building in Tel Aviv, the reality of where he was probably really sunk in.

The missile(s) that Pizzo sought shelter from were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.

Pizzo, who is a pro-business centrist Democrat,  is widely perceived as a potential, perhaps even probable, 2026 Democratic gubernatorial candidate.

Kibbutz Be’eri pic.twitter.com/ghXS44V1fl

— Sen. Jason Pizzo (@senpizzo) December 20, 2023

Would Pizzo’s trip abroad be a subtle move or very, very soft launch of a gubernatorial exploratory campaign?

From the looks of it, if Pizzo were to run for governor in 2026, his candidacy could prove problematic for Republicans considering that Pizzo would be able to all-but clear any potential field of Democratic gubernatorial candidates because of the money he has, and the potential cash he could raise.

Keep in mind that he cannot be painted as a radical Leftist like former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum,  who Republicans easily swaddled in a  Democratic Socialist blanket and stuck a fork in him.

But even though Gillum was effectively labeled as a Socialist, he still narrowly lost to now-Governor Ron DeSantis.

A Pizzo vs. Any Republican nominee could a fight Florida Republicans may not want to welcome in 2026

The post DeSantis, Trump Campaign in Iowa, Pizzo Flies to Israel to Visit With Oct 7 Survivors appeared first on The Floridian.