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Sen. Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero, filed a proposal Jan. 8, 2021, to establish an Office of Resiliency. In one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ top priorities of the legislative session, the Florida Senate on Monday passed a measure to crack down on social-media companies that remove users from their platforms. The Republican-controlled Senate voted 22-17, along almost straight party lines, to approve the proposal (SB 7072), which now will go to the House. DeSantis has made a priority of the issue after decisions by Twitter and Facebook to block former President Donald Trump from their platforms in January...

The proposal also would require social-media companies to publish standards about issues such as blocking users and apply the standards consistently. Pointing to the dominance of a handful of technology companies, such as Amazon, Facebook and Google, bill sponsor Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero, said “big tech is not a free market” and that the state has a role in regulating such companies. “When the battle is between a monopoly on one side and hard-working Americans on the other, the right side of history has always been on the side of the people,” Rodrigues said. “It has never been on the...

Vote-by-mail restrictions pass Florida Senate (Source: wwsb) By ABC7 Staff | April 26, 2021 at 2:53 PM EDT - Updated April 26 at 3:45 PM TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WWSB) - With Democrats likening the measure to Jim Crow-era practices aimed at keeping Black people from voting, the state Senate on Monday passed an elections package that would make it harder for Floridians to cast ballots by mail. A single Republican -- Jeff Brandes of St. Petersburg -- crossed party lines to join Senate Democrats in voting against the bill, with opponents arguing that it would impose unnecessary restrictions tha...

/ Said Sen. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville: "Since voting is a right, why would we, as a state, attempt to reduce the right of a person to exercise their right to vote and in the manner in which they decide to vote?" Among other things, the Senate proposal would make it harder for voters to request mail-in ballots or change their party affiliations. With Democrats likening the measure to Jim Crow-era practices aimed at keeping Black people from voting, the state Senate on Monday passed an elections package that would make it harder for Floridians to cast ballots by mail. A single Republican �...

Approximately two million Floridians voted by mail during last month's primary election. TALLAHASSEE --- With Democrats likening the measure to Jim Crow-era practices aimed at keeping Black people from voting, the state Senate on Monday passed an elections package that would make it harder for Floridians to cast ballots by mail. A single Republican --- Jeff Brandes of St. Petersburg --- crossed party lines to join Senate Democrats in voting against the bill, with opponents arguing that it would impose unnecessary restrictions that would have a disproportionately negative impact on Black, His...