Tag: florida

Florida Governor Calls For Special Session To Eliminate Property Tax For Homeowners

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 27 called for a special legislative session to pass his plan to exempt homeowners from paying property taxes on their permanent residence.

The Republican governor revealed his plans to sign a proclamation that would require state lawmakers to convene in Tallahassee and discuss his “Save Our Homes” proposal starting on June 1.

“Taxing something that you own repeatedly, which is a property tax, is the worst way to do taxation,” DeSantis said in a news conference on May 27.

DeSantis said he hopes that eliminating taxes from Florida homesteads could be a bipartisan effort.

“You pay all these taxes to acquire that property, and then year after year, you’re just having to write a check just for the privilege of being able to maintain ownership of something that is supposedly yours,” he said.

The proposal contemplates phasing in the exemption and creating a state trust fund to compensate local governments for lost revenue. Because the measure would involve a change to the Florida Constitution, if it passes the state Senate and state House, which are both Republican-controlled, it would need to be approved by voters in November.

Property tax revenue collected by local governments in the Sunshine State has nearly doubled in seven years, to $60 billion from $32 billion, according to the governor’s office.

DeSantis wants to make local governments use property taxes only for core public needs such as public safety, education, infrastructure, and natural resources.

The proposal would require new Florida residents to maintain residency for up to five years before they can receive the homestead exemption.

The proclamation comes as the term-limited Republican nears the end of his term as governor, set for Jan. 5, 2027.

“I want to make sure people can go and vote for something, and then see something that’s going to be very, very meaningful in their lives, and the way to do that is to focus on the homestead property owners,” he said.

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Justice Clarence Thomas Blasts Supreme Court For Refusing To Hear Florida’s Lawsuit Against Blue States Issuing Driver’s Licenses To Illegal Alien Truckers

Justice Clarence Thomas delivered a scathing dissent Tuesday as the Supreme Court refused to let Florida sue California and Washington over their lawless practice of handing out commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens who cannot read English road signs.

The Court denied Florida’s motion for leave to file a bill of complaint in the original jurisdiction case, leaving the state with “nowhere else to bring” its claims, Thomas wrote. He was joined by Justice Samuel Alito.

This decision comes after the horrific August 12, 2025, crash on the Florida Turnpike. Illegal alien Harjinder Singh, an Indian national who entered the U.S. illegally through the Mexican border, obtained CDLs from both California and Washington despite failing English proficiency tests at least ten times in Washington and once in California.

Singh approached a clearly marked “no U-turn” sign for official use only, ignored it, and swung his massive tractor-trailer across both lanes of the highway. The trailer crushed a minivan traveling behind him. All three passengers in the minivan were killed.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration testing after the crash confirmed Singh could not correctly answer most verbal questions and identified only one out of four highway signs.

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ICE Arrests Daughter of Cuban Communist Regime ‘Old Guard’ General

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently arrested Alina Rosales Aguirreurreta, daughter of General Ulises Rosales del Toro, a longtime key figure of the communist Castro regime.

ICE sources confirmed to Martí Noticias on Tuesday that Rosales Aguirreurreta, who is a doctor according to past statements from her family, was arrested in Florida. Her 84-year-old father, General Rosales del Toro, is widely described as part of the Cuban regime’s “old guard.” While keeping a relatively low profile from the public, the Cuban general has reportedly exerted significant political and military power in Cuba throughout the years thanks to his deep ties with both late dictator Fidel Castro and his brother and successor, Raúl Castro.

Rosales del Toro has occupied several high-ranking positions in the Cuban regime and the Cuban Communist Party over the past decades — including, but not limited to, vice president of the council of ministers, agriculture minister, and chief of the general staff of the revolutionary armed forces (FAR) in addition to holding the honorary title of “Hero of the Republic of Cuba.”

Martí Noticias first reported Alina Rosales Aguirreurreta’s presence in United States territory in February. According to testimonies given by her relatives, Rosales Aguirreurreta is reportedly believed to have entered the United States in 2023 during the administration of former President Joe Biden with a U.S. B-1/B-2 non-immigrant visa issued in Havana and has resided in Miami— staying in southern Florida hoping to adjust her migratory status.

“Let it be clear: the henchmen of the Castro regime and their accomplices have no place in the United States,” Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) wrote in a social media post applauding the arrest of Rosales Aguirreurreta.

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Venezuelan National with Immigration Detainer Hold Arrested in Florida for Attempted Murder After Boarding Flight

A Venezuelan national with an immigration detainer hold was arrested this month for attempted murder outside of a barbershop in Margate, Florida.

19-year-old Joan Jose Ferrer Azuaje was at the barbershop and had an argument over an unlawful gun deal. This was according to the affidavit regarding his arrest.

The conversation between the parties became heated, and according to a witness, Azuaje opened fire on individuals outside of the barbershop on May 9th.

According to the affidavit, a 10-year-old boy was inside when the gunfire occurred. The boy’s father was hit by the gunfire. A mobile phone kept in his pocket prevented the bullet from entering his leg.

Miami Herald Reported:

A teenager accused of shooting three people at a Margate barbershop was arrested on a plane at Tampa International Airport shortly before he was scheduled to take off for Colombia, authorities said Wednesday.

Officers went to the Dominican Style Barber Shop, 326 S. State Road 7, after a shooting was reported on the night of May 9, the Margate police said in a statement.

Joan Jose Ferrer Azuaje, 19, of Tampa, went to the barbershop that night and was there during an argument stemming from an illegal business deal over a gun, according to an arrest affidavit. The involved parties moved to the rear of the business to continue their conversation.

According to the police, three people were hit by the gunfire and had non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to make a full recovery.

Some of the neighboring businesses were damaged by the gunfire.

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INSANE! UNLICENSED Illegal Alien Driver Causes Accident on Freeway Right Next to ICE Arresting Another Illegal

Real America’s Voice Correspondent Ben Bergquam, host of Law and Border, captured an incredible moment on camera when an illegal alien crashed his car on the same road as police were arresting another illegal alien driver.

During the arrest on the side of a highway in Broward County, Florida, Bergquam captured footage of a white pickup truck rear-ending another gray pickup truck. The gray truck, driven by an illegal alien, was hit after the driver slammed on the brakes and got into a minor collision with another car, which drove off, as the white truck collided with the rear.

Officers rushed across the highway only to discover another illegal alien driving one of the cars!

“We’re over here picking up one illegal driving this van, and then this ends up happening. This driver slammed on his brakes, this guy hits him, but then this guy just happens to be illegal too,” Bergquam said to the camera.

“The density of the population of illegals in America, most Americans just can’t comprehend it. I mean, literally, we’re picking up this guy. This guy’s an illegal driver, and gets rear-ended by this guy, who’s just on his way to work. Crazy,” he added.

Bergquam told The Gateway Pundit that the driver was discovered to be driving without a license or insurance. The driver had also been arrested multiple times prior for driving without a license.

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Accusations grow over ChatGPT’s possible role in Florida State U. shooting

Artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT is facing multiple accusations that it is liable for a mass shooting at Florida State University.

Both the state’s attorney general and the family of a slain university worker accuse the platform, which is owned by OpenAI, of aiding in the April 17, 2025 shooting that killed two people and wounded six others.

Attorney General James Uthmeier says his office is “demanding answers on OpenAI’s activities that have hurt kids, endangered Americans, and facilitated the recent FSU mass shooting.”

“Wrongdoers must be held accountable,” Uthemeier said in an X post.

Similarly, a federal lawsuit, filed on May 11, accuses the platform of not recognizing red flags in messages sent by Phoenix Ikner, who is facing a trial in October for the shootings. The estate of slain Aramark supervisor Tiru Chabba similarly accuses ChatGPT of complicity in the killing.

Florida State University deferred comment to the Attorney General’s office, who then referred The Fix to its April 21 news release. 

The release states: “Florida law states that anyone who aids, abets, or counsels someone in the commission of a crime, and that crime is committed or attempted, may be considered a principal to the crime. The ‘aider and abettor’ is just as responsible for the crime as the perpetrator.” 

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Former DOJ Attorney Indicted For Stealing Copy of Jack Smith’s Report on Trump’s Classified Docs Investigation

A former Miami-based DOJ attorney was indicted for stealing a copy of Jack Smith’s report on Trump’s classified documents investigation.

Carmen Lineberger, the former Managing Assistant US Attorney, in Fort Pierce, Florida, was indicted on two counts of theft of government money or property, valued less than $1,000; destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations; and concealment, removal, or mutilation of public records.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Lineberger, 62, stole a copy of Jack Smith’s report, which was previously ordered by Judge Aileen Cannon to be kept secret, and sent it to her personal email account.

The indictment accuses Lineberger of sending the Jack Smith report to herself with misleading subject lines “chocolate cake recipe” and “bundt cake recipe.”

Lineberger pleaded not guilty on all four felony counts. She is facing more than 20 years in prison.

Per the DOJ:

The indictment alleges at the time of the offenses the defendant served as the Managing Assistant United States Attorney (MAUSA) of the Fort Pierce branch of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. In separate instances in late-2025, the defendant altered the electronic file names of government records that she received in her official capacity as the MAUSA in order to conceal her unauthorized electronic transmission of those records to personal email accounts belonging to her without being detected.

The altered government records included a document compiled by the defendant consisting of portions of internal DOJ electronic messages and an internal DOJ memorandum, and a DOJ report related to a criminal prosecution in the SDFL that had been court-ordered to remain under seal and prohibited from distribution or disclosure outside of DOJ.

As alleged in the indictment, the defendant concealed her actions by saving electronic copies of the government records in question under the misleading files names “chocolate cake recipe” and “bundt cake recipe” before electronically transmitting those records to her personal email accounts.

As to the DOJ report, the indictment further alleges the defendant acted knowing that her transmission of the record outside DOJ directly violated the court order and impaired the proper administration of the underlying criminal prosecution.

Lineberger appeared in federal court today for her arraignment before Southern District of Florida Chief United States Magistrate Judge William Matthewman in West Palm Beach, Florida.

If convicted, Lineberger faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment for destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations, three years’ imprisonment for concealment, removal, or mutilation of public records, and up to one year imprisonment on each count of theft of government property valued at less than $1,000.

The case is being jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt from the Northern District of Florida, who was assigned as a special prosecutor to avoid conflicts of interest with the investigation and prosecution of this matter.

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Former ‘gay cure’ ministry leader set to face judge after arrest linked to underage sex sting

A former leader of an Orlando-based ministry that claimed for years it could cure homosexuality has been arrested in an underage sex sting, according to an Orange County arrest affidavit.

Alan Manning Chambers, 54, was arrested Tuesday in Winter Park and booked into the Orange County Jail without bond.

He’s expected to appear in front of a judge for the first time on Wednesday afternoon.

Chambers is charged with solicitation of a minor via computer, transmitting harmful material to a minor and unlawful use of a two-way communication device, according to the affidavit.

Undercover Snapchat investigation began in February

Investigators said an undercover detective operating a Snapchat account began communicating with a user in February.

According to the affidavit, the detective identified himself as a 14-year-old boy living in Orlando.

The user identified himself as a 50-year-old man named “John David,” and told the undercover detective he lived in Orlando and later moved the conversation to text messages and Telegram, investigators said.

Deputies said the conversations continued for several months.

According to the affidavit, the user repeatedly discussed meeting and engaging in sexual activity with the person he believed was a teenager.

Investigators said the user also repeatedly expressed concern about the age difference and the possibility of getting in trouble.

The affidavit said the user deleted some communications and told the undercover detective he did not want anyone to find out.

Investigators said the user discussed meeting multiple times, including in March, April and May.

According to the affidavit, the user told the undercover detective in April that he would meet him, but later said he had been pulled over on Interstate 4.

Investigators said the user then asked if the teen could take an Uber to meet near his office on Park Avenue in Winter Park.

The affidavit said the user also sent a photo of his office showing a brown table on a unique carpet.

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Jacksonville officials maintained illegal registry of gun owners, violating state’s firearm preemption laws

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a lawsuit seeking a $5 million civil penalty against the City of Jacksonville, alleging that the municipality maintained an illegal registry of law-abiding gun owners.

The legal action stems from “log books” kept between 2023 and 2025 by city personnel, which reportedly recorded the personal information and firearm details of individuals carrying weapons into government buildings like City Hall.

Uthmeier argues that this practice violates Florida’s preemption laws, which prohibit local governments from creating firearm registries — a restriction designed to protect the privacy and Second Amendment (2A) rights of citizens.

While a prior local investigation by the State Attorney’s Office found no criminal intent, the attorney general’s lawsuit contends that city management was complicit in maintaining the registry, thereby triggering the multimillion-dollar fine permitted under state statute.

“We are taking the City of Jacksonville to court for knowingly and willfully keeping an illegal gun registry in violation of Florida law,” Uthmeier asserted.

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The Illusion of Tax Relief In Miami-Dade County

In Miami-Dade County, tax relief has become something to celebrate first and question later. Any reduction tied to homestead taxes is framed as a win, a sign that government is finally easing the burden on homeowners. But that celebration rests on a convenient omission. When revenue disappears, obligations do not.

Local governments still fund infrastructure, public safety, education and social services. Cutting one stream of revenue does not eliminate those responsibilities. It simply shifts the burden elsewhere, often in ways that are less visible and far more difficult for taxpayers to track. In Miami-Dade County, that shift is not hypothetical. It is already built into the system.

Florida has aggressively expanded charter schools while preserving the same local property tax structure that funds traditional government-operated public education. School boards continue to collect taxes from homeowners, including those with homestead protections. But those funds no longer support a single, locally-governed system. Under Florida law, public school districts are required to share certain capital outlay funds with charter schools (Fla. Stat. § 1013.62).

The result is a structural contradiction: taxation remains local and mandatory, while control over how those funds are used becomes increasingly fragmented.

For taxpayers, especially older homeowners on fixed incomes, the obligation does not change. They continue paying into a system that has evolved beyond what many originally understood it to be. This is not a reduction in taxation. It is a redistribution of taxation.

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