Since being appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in February as Florida’s attorney general, James Uthmeier has kept a steady pace of sweeping legal and policy initiatives:
He came up with the name of the undocumented immigrant detention center, “Alligator Alcatraz,” and defended it in court.
He is suing Democratic-run states over their immigration policies.
He slammed local elected Democrats in Orange County and got them to reverse course.
And he’s challenging streaming and tech companies Roku and Roblox.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (right) attends the 50th annual Red Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More alongside new Attorney General of Florida James Uthmeier (left) Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
The moves won Uthmeier, 37, praise and an endorsement from President Donald Trump, effectively squashing any potential primary challenge in 2026.
“James Uthmeier is a Strong Conservative Fighter and Prosecutor, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” Trump posted on Truth Social last month.
Democrats, however, have grown alarmed at some of his actions, including on Nov. 6 when Uthmeier filed suit against Planned Parenthood in the state’s 1st Judicial Circuit, alleging the group misrepresented the safety of abortion drugs.
“It’s another politically motivated attack in an effort to defund Planned Parenthood,” said Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, who previously worked for Planned Parenthood. “Uthmeier, who is unelected, an appointed Attorney General, continues to weaponize his bully pulpit to attack and to restrict access to care causing confusion among patients.”
With nearly two months until the next legislative session, he’s also laid out an ambitious agenda that will require support from fellow Republican lawmakers, which could also be challenging.
Uthmeier flexing policy muscles in legislative session
On Oct. 31 Uthmeier said he wants to limit the insanity defense for violent criminal cases to the sentencing phase of the trial – a major reworking of criminal law in the state.
“Alleging that you can’t tell right from wrong should not exonerate you from a violent crime,” Uthmeier said in a video posted on X. “Moral incapacity should only be used during sentencing to determine if someone should spend the rest of their life in prison or in a high security hospital.”
Uthmeier also wants to prohibit the release of convicted sex offenders before sentencing, increase retirement benefits for state prosecutors and ban registered sex offenders and those convicted of animal abuse from adopting children.
In addition to that slate, Uthmeier has added to lawmakers’ to-do list by declaring an appellate court ruling overturning Florida’s ban on carrying guns openly in public applies statewide. He’s also said the Legislature will likely have to clarify existing law in light of the ruling.
Despite the GOP’s supermajority in both chambers of the Legislature, a bill to allow open carry hadn’t passed ahead of the court ruling.
Hope Florida connection could complicate matters
And the rest of his agenda could face difficulty as well. Earlier this year the House probed a 2024 settlement between Centene, a major Medicaid provider, and the state. Centene paid $67 million to settle claims it overcharged the state, but $10 million of that was diverted to the Hope Florida Foundation.
That charity is linked to the initiative spearheaded by First Lady Casey DeSantis to help connect those in need to private nonprofits and church groups, for example, and lessen reliance on traditional government welfare programs.
But the foundation passed the $10 million through two other nonprofits, which then funneled the money to a political committee run by Uthmeier, at the time DeSantis’ chief of staff. That committee used the funds to campaign successfully in defeating ballot measures that would have legalized recreational marijuana and enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution.
A grand jury recently convened to look into the matter, but no report and no charges have been issued. Uthmeier hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing. But the issue could lead lawmakers to view his agenda more skeptically.
“The fact that the Florida House has exposed some serious allegations of Uthmeier that are now being discussed in a grand jury, it’ll impact his ability to shepherd his agenda through,” Eskamani said.
Attorney General James Uthmeier attends the Speaker Designate Ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.
‘Making Florida the safest place to raise a family’
But Uthmeier is confident he’ll be able to persuade lawmakers to pass his agenda.
“Attorney General Uthmeier is focused on making Florida the safest place to raise a family. His legislative proposals are common sense efforts to protect kids, provide prosecutors a better retirement, and ensure criminals stay behind bars,” Uthmeier spokeswoman Isabel Kilman said in an email.
She also noted Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, and Rep. Sam Greco, R-St. Augustine, are working on a bill that would become Missy’s Law – one of the main planks of Uthmeier’s agenda.
The proposal is named after Tallahassee 5-year-old Melissa “Missy” Mogle, who was allegedly killed in May by her stepfather, Daniel Spencer, who had been convicted the prior month after an online sex sting but released pending sentencing.
Uthmeier wants the Legislature to bar the release of convicted sex offenders before sentencing. Moreover, he wants lawmakers to ban sex offenders – and those convicted of animal abuse – from adopting children or using surrogacy. Uthmeier calls it the Protecting Kids from Predators Pursuing Parenthood Act.
“I hope to work with the Legislature to ensure that registered sex offenders, people that have preyed upon kids are in no way eligible to obtain children through surrogacy adoption or foster care. And this will apply to people that abuse animals as well,” Uthmeier said in an Aug. 7 video posted on X.
“If you abuse animals you have no purpose becoming a new parent. We cannot endanger our kids.”
Gray Rohrer is a reporter with the USA TODAY Network-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at grohrer@gannett.com. Follow him on X: @GrayRohrer.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Uthmeier expands conservative legal agenda in Florida