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...for crimes committed during protests. Governor Ron DeSantis announced a new bill Monday that would increase charges for those who participate in a violent or disorderly assembly. DeSantis made the announcement at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. The bill is called the “Combating Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act." A violent or disorderly assembly would be defined as when seven ore more people are involved in an assembly that causes damage to property or injury to people.

Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed legislation that he described as “bold” on Monday. Judging by the plain text of the proposal and the responses to it, bold is an understatement. Under the “new criminal offenses” section established by the would-be Combatting Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act, DeSantis declared it a third-degree felony to obstruct traffic during an “unpermitted protest, demonstration or violent or disorderly assembly.” Notably, the next clause purports to remove liability for injury or death a driver causes if that driver is “fleeing for safety from a mob. Former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum...

Finally we have some LEADERSHIP out of the State of Florida! This is what needs to happen nation wide. https://youtu.be/6A9YU-WSh0Y    

Cook also encouraged other young girls who want to become officers to follow their dreams. “I think you know what I’d like to say to the little girls out there is, you can grow up to be a police officer, it’s doable it’s definitely something that is an honorable profession and if you want to serve your community,” Cook said. [snip] Cook assured Clay County residents they will be safe.

Earlier Today Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida was interviewed by Clay Travis from Outkick Sports....The interview is about 23 minutes long.... I live in Florida and like the guy.... He's catching hell from the MSM for being a Trump Supporter and Governor of a key election state... I think it's refreshing to hear from a politician who is making decisions based on FACTS and not the near hysteria of many in the public.....

FL and NY have an identical number of per capita coronavirus infections but FL has 5X less per capita deaths. Will Dr. Fauci be praising @GovRonDeSantis’ response to the pandemic? Will he point out that @NYGovCuomo’s response allowed a fivefold greater per capita death rate?— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 3, 2020

Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation University of South Florida Tampa, Florida THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, Governor DeSantis, thank you for your leadership.  Thank you for bringing your team together.  And I want to thank Tampa General and the University of South Florida not just for your hospitality today, but for all you’re doing every day for the health and wellbeing of the people of Florida.Governor, the President wanted me to be here to say to you and to the people of Florida: We’re with you, and we’re going to make sure you have whatever you need to...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Without fanfare, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law an expansion of Florida's use of a federal database to verify an employee's immigration status. But it's far from the sweeping change he sought: Influential industries lobbied to make it optional for private employers. In a presidential election year, the issue could loom as a point of contention amid clashing ideologies over immigration. Supporters see E-Verify as a tool to keep people who are in the United States illegally from getting jobs. The Republican governor asked lawmakers to require all employers in Florida — public and private —...

a chart worth looking at before listening to cuomo preach to florida about how to "flatten the curve" NY has had 24,830 COV deaths vs 3,489 in FL. FL has a 10% larger population than NY. pop adj, NY has 7.8X the COV deaths of FL. median age in FL is 8% higher. pic.twitter.com/KzAWqVShqA— el gato malo (@boriquagato) June 28, 2020

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis fired back at his New York counterpart Andrew Cuomo on Saturday after the New York governor said he was considering quarantining Florida residents visiting the Empire State. Cuomo’s statement On Thursday, Cuomo said he was considering imposing a 14-day quarantine for people visiting from states like Florida, which have seen a spike in new Covid-19 cases. “I have experts who have advised me to do that,” Cuomo said. “I am considering it now in some ways.” “You want to talk about a full 180 for those people,” he added. “Florida and other states imposed quarantine on...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hit back Saturday at New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo over a possible coronavirus quarantine for visitors, asking that he “not quarantine any Floridians in nursing homes.” In a rare Saturday news conference, DeSantis, a Republican, made reference to a now-adjusted policy that Cuomo, a Democrat, had pushed, which allowed nursing homes to admit COVID-19 patients despite how vulnerable the elderly population has been to the virus. DeSantis was an outspoken critic of the decision: in his state, nursing homes refused to admit residents who had tested positive.

Other states "wish" that they had followed Florida's lead in their responses to the coronavirus pandemic, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested Thursday, saying he believes the state can host the Republican National Convention this summer. In an interview on "Fox & Friends," DeSantis detailed his tactics heading into Phase II of his state's COVID-19 reopening plan and assured the state was following White House guidelines including limiting group-size to up to 50 people and implementing temperature checks. "I was at Universal Studios yesterday making this announcement. They're now open at least for the pass holders. They are going to be...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that most of the state can enter Phase 2 of its coronavirus reopening, which further eases restrictions on gyms, bars and movie theaters, among other businesses. “I'm pleased to announce that the Original Phase 1 Florida counties (all except Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach) may enter Phase 2 effective Friday, June 5, 2020,” DeSantis tweeted early Wednesday afternoon. Reopening businesses must still adhere to state health guidelines on social distancing and sanitization, which vary somewhat for each sector.

Florida Gov. Ron De Santis (R) said Wednesday that he’s sending 500 of his state’s National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to aid in responding to protests. The governor made the announcement at a Universal Orlando Resort, which is set to open Friday. The extra 500 troops come after a relatively peaceful night of protests in Washington. In previous nights, law enforcement deployed pepper balls and rubber bullets while seeking to quell demonstrations in the city. Members of the D.C. National Guard have been spotted in several parts of the city amid the protests and incidents of looting in recent...

A couple of months ago, the media, almost as one, decided that Gov. Ron DeSantis was a public menace who was going to get Floridians killed with his lax response to the coronavirus crisis. In an interview with National Review, DeSantis says he was surprised at “how knee-jerk” the hostile coverage was, but he “also knew that none of these people knew anything about Florida at all, so I didn’t care what they were saying.” The conventional wisdom has begun to change about Florida, as the disaster so widely predicted hasn’t materialized. It’s worth delving into the state’s response because...

On his top-rated talk radio program Thursday, Rush Limbaugh kicked off a segment by announcing a rare honor bestowed by the “EIB Limbaugh Institute”: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is now officially “the closest that we’ve ever had to a graduate” of his prestigious institute, Limbaugh said. The reason the Republican governor has been awarded the honor, the host explained, is his thorough throttling of the media for their partisan coverage of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I want to start with a graduate or the closest that we’ve ever had to a graduate, of the EIB Limbaugh Institute, and...

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke too soon when he criticized the media's dire predictions about his reopening strategy, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., argued on Thursday. "What he’s saying is premature," Schumer told "The View." "Most of the experts say if this is going to come back because we moved too soon, it will take several months before that happens — July, August, September, October. And to compare New York and Florida is sort of like apples and oranges." "We were the hot spot. We had more coronavirus cases than anybody else, and so I think you’ve got...

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pulled no punches against the media on Wednesday for its hostile coverage of his handling of the coronavirus in his state. Speaking to reporters alongside Vice President Mike Pence, DeSantis touted Florida's improving data, citing Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House coronavirus task force, who called it the "absolutely best data" among every state in the country. "So any insinuation otherwise is just typical, partisan narrative trying to be spun and part of the reason is that you've got a lot of people in your profession who waxed poetically for weeks and weeks about...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had a message on Thursday for other governors who have implemented “really draconian, arbitrary restrictions” during the coronavirus outbreak, saying, “You don't have unlimited authority and people do have rights.” DeSantis made the comments on “Fox & Friends” in response to a question from host Ainsley Earhardt, who asked if he thinks that “some of these governors that are just doing a one-size-fits-all for the entire state” are “being too strict and going too far.” “I don't think any governor has the authority to restrict anyone unless there’s a direct relationship to combating this virus,” DeSantis...