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DeSantis blasts House on its potential cuts to law enforcement budgets | Florida

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Steve Wilson | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-16 14:29:00

(The Center Square) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continued his war of words with the Florida House of Representatives, accusing the lower chamber of planning to cut law enforcement spending in its budget proposal Wednesday.

He said at a news conference in Fort Myers in southwest Florida that the House’s budget proposal, House Bill 5001, would force Florida state troopers to keep cars with more than 100,000 miles on them, defund salary hikes for law enforcement officers and fails to fund replacements for in-car cameras and ballistic armor.

The second-term GOP governor also said the House’s budget would cut 84 trooper and 73 state law enforcement dispatcher positions. 

He said Republicans have the largest legislative supermajorities in state Republican Party history because of the leadership they’ve provided, but that the House is trying to overturn six years of conservative policy. 

“A lot of people ran in the House and Senate on the same record, but what’s going on in Tallahassee right now with the Florida House of Representatives is really treacherous,” DeSantis said. “What they’re doing, because they all ran on this agenda. They never ran against law enforcement. I can tell you that because they would have gotten shown the door by the voters if they had done that. They never ran on trying to overturn our reforms in higher education.

“They never ran on joining with Democrats to try to manufacture smears against the administration the governor, even the First Lady. They’ve tried to do that on they never ran on any of that stuff, but that’s what they’re doing. They are not doing what they told you they would do. They are effectively stabbing the voters in the back with this really, really terrible agenda. This is the swamp in action. This is the swamp trying to strike back after six years of success.”

In his budget proposal, DeSantis wants 20% salary increases for entry-level state law enforcement officers, such as state troopers and investigators, and 25% for veteran state law enforcement officers and state firefighters. These increases for 4,700 state law enforcement officers and 730 state firefighters would cost an additional $118.3 million annually. 

House leaders bragged about their budget proposal being $6 billion less than last year’s appropriation and $2 billion less than what DeSantis seeks. 

DeSantis is facing scrutiny over a $10 million contribution by health care giant Centene, which is being investigated by the state House of Representatives, which has a Republican supermajority. 

The governor has been locked in a battle with House leadership since January, when they balked along with their Senate counterparts about DeSantis’ call for a special session to handle immigration enforcement.

After several weeks of negotiations, both sides arrived at a compromise.

The House also is in disagreement with DeSantis over tax reform. DeSantis wants a one-time property tax rebate and a ballot initiative for permanent relief, while the House has passed a bill that would cut the state’s sales tax from 6% to 5.25% that the governor says would help non-residents. 

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News from the South - Florida News Feed

Ozzy Osbourne says farewell to live performance with a hometown show for 40,000 fans

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www.clickorlando.com – Associated Press – 2025-07-06 04:28:00

SUMMARY: Ozzy Osbourne, the heavy metal icon, performed what he says was his last-ever live show at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, with the original Black Sabbath lineup. Despite his Parkinson’s diagnosis, Osbourne sang from a black throne, urging fans to “let the madness begin” and expressing heartfelt thanks. Joined onstage for the first time in 20 years by bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, they closed with the classic “Paranoid.” The event was part of a metal festival featuring Anthrax, Metallica, and Guns N’ Roses, with tributes from celebrities like Elton John. Osbourne’s career began in 1968 with Black Sabbath, and he gained mainstream fame in the 2000s through MTV’s “The Osbournes.”

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Protesters take to South Florida streets to speak out against Trump’s immigration policies

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www.youtube.com – CBS Miami – 2025-07-05 18:54:28

SUMMARY: Protesters in South Florida rallied for the second consecutive day against the Trump administration’s immigration policies, particularly after ICE received additional funding and a new detention center opened in the Everglades. Demonstrators gathered outside the Broward Transitional Center, where Marie Ange Blaise, a 44-year-old Haitian woman, died in ICE custody in April. Democratic Congresswoman Sheila McCormack called for a hearing to investigate Blaise’s death amid concerns over the treatment of immigrants. Organizers and protesters condemned the new detention facility, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” citing its dangerous location surrounded by wildlife and inhumane conditions. ICE’s funding increase supports more agents and facilities.

CBS News Miami’s Steve Maugeri was there during the demonstrations.

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Iran’s supreme leader makes first public appearance since Iran-Israel war started

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www.news4jax.com – Associated Press – 2025-07-05 14:29:00

SUMMARY: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his first public appearance since the 12-day war with Israel began, attending a mourning ceremony in Tehran. During the conflict, Khamenei stayed in a bunker amid heightened threats. The war involved Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and Iranian missile retaliation, causing over 900 Iranian deaths and significant nuclear facility damage. Iran has since suspended cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog. The ceremony commemorated the martyrdom of Hussein, a pivotal figure in Shiite Islam, reflecting deep religious and political significance in Iran’s identity and current tensions.

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