Florida lawmakers discuss whether to continue to fund the Florida State Guard, and key primaries take place Tuesday.
Florida lawmakers debate to continue funding Florida State Guard
The future of the Florida State Guard remains uncertain as budget talks continue between the Florida Senate and House.
Gov. Ron DeSantis launched the volunteer emergency force in 2022 to help Florida’s response to emergencies.
But the guard is now dealing with its own troubles.
In its short history, the State Guard has helped Floridians during emergencies like Hurricane Helene, for example.
In the last few years, though, the guard has also faced allegations including bad budgeting and claims of sexual harassment within its ranks.
With budget talks underway in Tallahassee, House and Senate leaders are split on whether to fund DeSantis’ state guard, among other things.
“These members probably have no idea either what’s going on. I mean, it’s like, it’s like, it’s kind of just like a little cabal of people that kind of like decided. And it’s like, it’s almost like, you know, is there like white smoke coming out… do we have a budget?” DeSantis said.
The Florida Senate proposed millions to fund full-time staff plus various mission expenses.
Meanwhile, the Florida House isn’t even offering a dollar.
“You know, it’s going to depend on how this works out. But we’re working with our partners in the Senate to make sure that we cover the basics to keep government running,” State Rep. Jason Shoaf said.
“I think it won’t be $33.9 million and it won’t be zero,” State Sen. Ed Hooper said.
The debate comes after allegations of misspending on things like training and equipment, plus the resignation of several senior state guard leaders.
“I think the whole thing needs to freeze in place. Let’s figure out what’s going on, bring different people in that, you know, that have no dog in the hunt. And either that or fold it up and go away,” U.S. Army Auxiliary Activation Project National Administrator Jim Stephens said.
Budget negotiations are expected to continue through the week, with a goal of lawmakers voting on a final document after the Memorial Day weekend.
There’s a distinct difference between the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard.
With the state guard only answering to the Florida governor, and paid for exclusively with state funds.
Is there a future in politics for Republicans who cross President Donald Trump?
The signs this year suggest no, and Trump has convinced his voters to defeat his adversaries again and again. The next test of the president’s power to extract retribution is on Tuesday, when Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky faces a Trump-backed primary challenger.
Massie has been a thorn in the president’s side for pushing for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, opposing the war with Iran and voting against Trump’s signature tax legislation last year.
Trump has repeatedly shown that Republican primary voters will follow his lead, even as his popularity wanes with the broader electorate.
In Kentucky, he’s supporting first-time candidate Ed Gallrein over Massie, who has been in office since 2012. Massie is trying to convince Republicans that they can support both himself and Trump at the same time, a proposition that has been tried unsuccessfully in other races around the country.
On Saturday, Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana failed to even make the runoff, unable to repair his relationship with Trump five years after voting to convict him during his second impeachment trial. And earlier this month, Trump successfully dislodged five of seven Indiana Republicans he targeted for voting against his redistricting plan.
Trump is flexing his influence in other places on Tuesday as well.
In the race for Georgia governor, Trump is backing Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in an unexpectedly ugly battle for the Republican nomination. Jones, who comes from a wealthy Georgia family, has given his campaign $19 million. But billionaire Rick Jackson, a health care tycoon, has put more than $83 million of his fortune into the race. Trump’s endorsement power has rarely been tested against that level of lopsided spending.
Trump stayed on the sidelines of Georgia’s Senate race, leaving a crowded field of hopefuls seeking to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who’s running unopposed for his party’s nomination. But in Alabama, Trump endorsed Rep. Barry Moore for Senate to replace Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor.
https://mynews13.com/fl/orlando/political-connections/2026/05/08/iran-war-latest–virginia-redistricting-ruling