Aaron Parseghian

2 days ago | wtsp.com | Aaron Parseghian

TAMPA, Fla. — More than 100 Florida Highway Patrol troopers have been granted new powers to carry out immigration enforcement independently, marking part of what Governor Ron DeSantis calls a national “blueprint” for state-level immigration enforcement. The troopers were recently sworn in as Special Deputy U.S. Marshals, allowing them to serve and execute federal immigration warrants without relying on federal agencies.

6 days ago | wtsp.com | Aaron Parseghian

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The framework of a budget deal between leaders in the Florida Capitol has ‘blown up’ according to a memo from House Speaker Daniel Perez (R-Miami). “I was disappointed when the Senate President informed me of his decision to no longer bring the House’s historic tax proposal to the Senate floor. As I’m sure you can appreciate, this blew up the framework for the budget deal we had negotiated,” wrote Perez.

6 days ago | wtsp.com | Aaron Parseghian

CLEARWATER, Fla. — A large crack in a support column forced the evacuation of a 12-story condo building in Clearwater, putting Florida’s ongoing condo safety overhaul back into the spotlight. Crews have now installed temporary support structures on every floor of the building while residents remain displaced until engineers complete a full safety inspection.

1 week ago | firstcoastnews.com | Aaron Parseghian

TAMPA, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis reignited his calls for property tax relief during a roundtable discussion Wednesday in Tampa while also signaling he’d veto a Florida House-backed plan to reduce the state’s sales tax. “If any 'Florida last' sales tax package comes to me, it’s going to be dead on arrival,” DeSantis said. “We need to make sure we’re delivering property tax relief.” The governor’s remarks could cause a stir as lawmakers pick up budget negotiations in Tallahassee next week.

1 week ago | wtsp.com | Aaron Parseghian

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — With property taxes rising sharply across Florida, the state’s Republican Party is calling on local governments to roll back their rate in an effort to provide immediate relief to homeowners. The new campaign, dubbed “Rollback Now,” urges local leaders to lower the tax burden and/or adhere to the rollback rate — listed on annual Truth in Millage (TRIM) notices — that generates the same amount of revenue for local governments despite rising property values.