Latest news with #FloridaHouseofRepresentatives
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida beefs up laws against deepfake porn, luring children, sex trafficking. What to know
Florida has taken some big steps in the fight against sexually explicit deepfakes. On June 10, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed five bills designed to protect children against sexual crimes. The bills expand Florida laws against luring or enticing children, add more registration and reporting requirements for sexual predators and offenders and mandate minimum terms for subsequent offenses, add harsher penalties — including the death penalty — for anyone convicted of human trafficking for sexual exploitation of children under 12 or individuals who are mentally incapacitated, and provide an enforceable framework to remove deepfake material from online platforms. The bill against deepfakes is called "Brooke's Law" after Brooke Curry, the daughter of former Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry, who was 16 when a teenage boy she didn't know used a picture from her Instagram account to create an image she later described as 'embarrassing, vulgar, rude and against everything I stand for.' Curry, now 18, testified at a Florida House of Representatives committee hearing for passage of House Bill 1161 and was on hand when DeSantis signed the bill. 'Florida has zero tolerance for criminals who exploit children,' DeSantis said. 'Throughout my time in office, we've worked with the legislature to strengthen penalties for child abuse, hold predators accountable, and ensure that Florida remains a safe place to raise a family.' Here's what to know. "Deepfakes" are fake images or video created through graphics software or AI generators of real people. Faces taken from social media posts or other pictures available online are photoshopped onto adult movie actresses or models or used to generate explicit AI-generated content without consent, which is then shared around school, sent to family members or employers, or uploaded to websites for millions to see. Software to create convincing deepfake nudes has become increasingly accessible and the content it produces is often indistinguishable from real images and video. It's used as a tool of abuse, humiliation and harassment that disproportionately targets teenage girls and women. Celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Jenna Ortega and Megan Thee Stallion have seen false sexual imagery of themselves spread across the web, and women politicians are frequent targets. One in eight teens age 13 to 17 personally know someone who has been victimized by deepfake nudes, according to a report from Thorn, a nonprofit company focused on childhood safety online. One in 17 said they were a direct victim. Deepfake penalties: Students used AI to create nude photos of their classmates. For some, arrests came next. Law enforcement was slow to address the problem as they worked out how to address the everchanging murky world of cybercrime, and many websites refused to remove images or video after they were reported. If they were removed, offenders would share them somewhere else, further traumatizing the victim. In May, President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan Take It Down Act to federally criminalize publication of non-consensual intimate imagery, also known as NCII. The law requires social media platforms and similar websites to remove nonconsensual intimate imagery — defined as including realistic, computer-generated pornographic images and videos that depict identifiable, real people — within 48 hours of notice from a victim. Florida's HB 1161, Removal of Altered Sexual Depictions Posted without Consent, provides victims with a legal mechanism to fight deepfakes by requiring specified websites and online services to establish a process for victims to request removals, with a clear and conspicuous notice of the process in easy-to-understand language. Once a victim makes a written request for removal, the platform must remove the content and any copies within 48 hours. Failure to reasonably comply will be considered an unfair or a deceptive act or practice under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, subject to cease and desist orders and civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation, plus actual damages and attorney's fees and costs. The bill provides liability protections for platforms that act in good faith. The platforms are required to establish a clear and prominent process for reporting such content. Email providers, information services and websites whose content is not user-generated are not included. The bill is effectively immediately. HB 777 expands the laws on luring and enticing children: Expands the age of the victim involved to be any child under 14 (previously it was a child under 12) Prohibits a person 18 years of age or older from intentionally luring or enticing, or attempting to lure or entice, a child under the age of 14 into or out of a structure, dwelling, or conveyance for other than a lawful purpose 1st violation: Bumped up from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony 2nd or subsequent violation: Bumped up from a third-degree felony to a second-degree felony If committed by an offender with a previous violation of certain offenses: Bumped up from a third-degree felony to a second-degree felony Expands the scope of the offense by including "or out of" buildings and vehicles, not just into one Prohibits ignorance of the victim's age, misrepresentative of the victim's age by another person, or what the defendant sincerely believed the victim's age as a legal defense This bill takes effect Oct. 1, 2025. HB 1351 adds sexual predator and offender reporting requirements to block some reporting loopholes, including: Requires registrants to report their occupation, business name, employment address, and employment phone number Requires sexual offenders and predators to report in-state travel residences within 48 hours either online through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)'s online system or in person with the sheriff's office, removes a requirement to report it to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Requires local law enforcement agencies to conduct address verifications of sexual offenders at least one time per calendar year and sexual predators four times per calendar year to ensure the accuracy of the information Clarifies that 'permanent residence,' as far as sexual predator and sexual offender registration and reporting requirements go, means the person's home or other place where the person primarily lives This bill takes effect Oct. 1, 2025. HB 1455 provides mandatory minimum sentences for certain sexual offenses when committed by registered offenders or predators: Requires a court to impose a mandatory minimum sentence if a person who has previously been convicted of a specified sexual offense is convicted of committing a subsequent specified sexual offense, even if the mandatory minimum exceeds the maximum authorized sentence 10 years for: Lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim under 16 years of age Lewd or lascivious molestation of an elderly or disabled person Online solicitation of a minor, traveling to meet a minor, or prohibited computer usage Possession or transmitting of child pornography 15 years for possession of child pornography with the intent to promote 20 years for: Use of a child in a sexual performance Promoting a sexual performance by a child Buying or selling minors Specifies that except in the case of a pardon or conditional medical release, a person sentenced must serve the full minimum sentence This bill takes effect Oct. 1, 2025. SB 1804 establishes a new felony offense, "Capital Human Trafficking of Vulnerable Persons for Sexual Exploitation," and makes it a capital offense punishable by life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or death. Under the law, Capital Human Trafficking of Vulnerable Persons for Sexual Exploitation is committed by a person 18 years or older who knowingly initiates, organizes, plans, finances, directs, manages, or supervises a venture that has subjected a child less than 12 years of age, or a person who is mentally defective or mentally incapacitated. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that death sentences are limited to murder cases with at least one aggravating factor. "No one has been executed for a non-murder offense in this country since 1964," an analysis of the bill states, and life imprisonment without the possibility of parole is the current maximum sentence for capital sexual battery due to a string of court cases in both the U.S. and Florida Supreme Courts. According to six other states — Georgia, Louisiana, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas — and the U.S. military allow for death sentences for various specifications of underage rape. There have been no executions under those laws so far, and two people sentenced in Louisiana had their sentences overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. This bill takes effect Oct. 1, 2025. Steve Patterson, Florida Times-Union, contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida strengthens laws against deepfake nudes, sex trafficking
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Officials pass new law that will prohibit commercial development in state parks: 'We're just not going to stand for it'
Florida has taken a giant leap forward in the effort to preserve its state parks and prevent them from being used by developers. On May 22, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed CS/CS/HB 209, or the State Land Management bill, into law. The legislation creates the Florida State Park Preservation Act, which aims to protect Florida's state parks from commercial development. The law prohibits the construction of lodging, golf courses, and other sports facilities within state parks. It also mandates public hearings and digital access to land management plans, ensuring public oversight and transparency in park management. Sponsored by Florida State Representatives John Snyder and Peggy Gossett-Seidman, the bill passed through the Florida House of Representatives and Senate unanimously before being signed into law by Governor DeSantis. CS/CS/HB 209 comes in response to public concerns about proposed development projects from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. According to a press release, the state launched its 2024-25 Great Outdoors Initiative with the goal to expand public access, increase outdoor activities, and provide new lodging options across Florida's state parks. The initiative was hailed as a move to reinforce the state's "dedication to conservation, the outdoor recreation economy, and a high quality of life for Floridians." After the 2024-25 Great Outdoors Initiative was met with widespread pushback in the state, Florida's DEP decided to reverse course, paving the way for CS/CS/HB 209. Following the law's signing, it will go into effect on July 1, 2025. The move will offer protection to Florida's 175 state parks, which span over 800,000 acres. As noted by Florida State Representative Anna Eskamani, the preservation of Florida's state parks goes far beyond partisan politics. "I do think the environment continues to be one of those topics that can build bridges," Eskamani told Fox 13. "And oftentimes, it's not red versus blue. It's people versus corporations." Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Florida State Representative Lindsay Cross echoed the same sentiments of unity. "The idea of putting golf courses and mega-hotels in our state parks, as Floridians, we're just not going to stand for it," Cross said. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nathan Boyles easily secures District 3 state House seat with win over Democrat Dondre Wise
The rough and tumble April 1 Republican primary turned out to be the biggest obstacle Holt resident Nathan Boyles would face on his way to securing the District 3 seat in the Florida House of Representatives. Neither Democratic opponent Dondre Wise nor a healthy dose of voter indifference could prevent Boyles from securing election to the office in a June 10 special election. In an unofficial tally with all precincts counted but some mail in votes still outstanding in Santa Rosa County, Boyles had received 8,175 votes to 4,013 for Wise. The district is composed of all of Santa Rosa County except the southwestern edge, which includes Gulf Breeze and Navarre Beach. District 3 also extends into North Okaloosa to encompass rural areas north of the county seat of Crestview. In a break down by county, Boyles received 6,756 (66%) votes to 3,438 (34%) in Santa Rosa County and 1,419 (71%) votes to 575 (29%) in Okaloosa County. Boyles accepted the victory with humility. "Obviously it's overwhelming to see the report we received. Having served as an elected official you know you can't take that kind of support for granted," he said. The dismal final unofficial accounting showed that of the 118,401 registered Santa Rosa County voters just 10,199 or 8.6% cast ballots this cycle, while in Okaloosa County, where 22,449 voters were eligible, 1,997, or 8.9%, voted. Boyles attributed the low turnout to voter fatigue created by a special election held in the immediate wake of a hectic 2024 election cycle. "I'll take every vote we got," he said. Due to the late date of the special election vote Boyles did not get to participate in the bulk of the 2025 Legislative session. He will, however, be sworn in on June 16 and have the opportunity to vote in the overtime period of the session when the state House and state Senate come to agreement on a balanced state budget, probably some time next week. Boyles is an Okaloosa County resident who served three terms as a county commissioner. In District 3 he will represent a constituency made up primarily of Santa Rosa County residents. Though a sizeable segment of the Santa Rosa population argued early on that a county resident should hold the seat, Boyles has insisted all along the election was not about Okaloosa or Santa Rosa counties, but about finding someone suitable to represent District 3 in Tallahassee. The state representative elect has been preparing for his role in Tallahassee since emerging victorious April 1 over a slate of seven GOP candidates, all of whom competed in the primary knowing the winner would be a heavy favorite to replace Joel Rudman in the super conservative district. Boyles spent time in Tallahassee during the 2025 legislative session familiarizing himself with lawmakers and the legislative process and has stopped in to address the Santa Rosa County Commission as well as the governing bodies of the city of Milton and town of Jay. "It's been exciting to go over there and see the process and the people who make it run," he said. "It helps to understand the rules. I've enjoyed the opportunity of a running head start and hopefully I'll be educated and be the best representative of the district I can be." Boyles burst upon the Santa Rosa County scene in 2020 when his upstart Adams Sanitation business began luring customers in the north end of the county away from established WastePro which, as the only service provider, had decreased weekly pickups to one time a week while at the same time raising fees. After a protracted legal squabble, Adams Sanitation emerged victorious from litigation with both WastePro and the county itself. It now services thousands of customers county wide and employs 75 Santa Rosa County residents. The familiarity Boyles has gained in Santa Rosa showed in the Republican primary where Jay mayor Shon Owens, the popular choice among Santa Rosa County leadership, only outpolled him by 441 votes. In contrast, Boyles captured 1,399 more Okaloosa County votes than Owens, who ultimately finished 949 votes behind the winner. Boyles relied on his experience as a county commissioner to campaign for the District 3 seat. He spoke of his "significant experience in prioritizing infrastructure while keeping taxes low" and touched on key Okaloosa County achievements Santa Rosa residents could relate to. Those included paving dirt roads, improving rural broadband, preserving contaminant free drinking water, providing adequate stormwater treatment, protecting the environment and offering modern sewage treatment and disposal. Wise, who fielded no opposition on the Democratic side of the special election ticket, had moved just last month from Pensacola to Navarre. He has said that he knew he was facing an uphill battle in the heavily Republican District 3, but he was hopeful he'd been able to demonstrate through his campaign the importance of the election process. "I most wanted to make people aware of the election process and advocate for voter registration. I want real change and I believe this community does too," he said. "Regardless of the election outcome, I think people are starting to understand." The special election, which Gov. Ron DeSantis waited until Jan. 21 to schedule, was necessitated when Rudman resigned his seat to run for the Florida First Congressional District seat which was left empty after the November 2024 resignation of former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz. Rudman lost the congressional race to former Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Nathan Boyles wins Florida House District 3 special election
Mint
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Who was John Thrasher? Former FSU president and Florida Republican leader dies at 81 after cancer battle
John Thrasher, a major figure in Florida politics and education, has died at the age of 81 following a battle with cancer. His family announced his passing on May 30. John Thrasher's career spanned decades in public service. He was a Republican who rose to prominence in the 1990s, serving in the Florida House of Representatives from 1992 to 2000. He was House Speaker for his last two years in office. Later, he was elected to the Florida Senate and chaired the Senate Rules Committee. He also played a key role in former Governor Rick Scott's re-election campaign. In 2014, Thrasher became president of Florida State University (FSU), a role he held until 2021. His time as president was marked by a tragic shooting at the FSU Strozier Library, where a gunman injured three people before being shot by police. Thrasher was known for his commitment to FSU, where he studied business as an undergraduate and later earned a law degree. He was also a Vietnam War veteran, receiving two Bronze Stars and the Army Commendation Medal during his service. After retiring from FSU, Thrasher returned to The Southern Group, a lobbying firm he had helped establish earlier in his career. He also taught law at FSU as a professor. 'John fought the good fight,' one of his colleagues said. 'His legacy will continue on for generations.' The statement read, "It is with great sadness that the family of former Florida State University President John Thrasher, 81, shares notice of his passing. President Thrasher, who also served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and as a member of the Florida Senate, passed away this morning (May 30), surrounded by his family in Orlando, Fla. A private burial has been planned in Orange Park, Fla., with a celebration of his life to be held at Florida State University's Ruby Diamond Concert Hall in Tallahassee, Fla., on the 19th of August." "A private burial has been planned in Orange Park, Fla., with a celebration of his life to be held at Florida State University's Ruby Diamond Concert Hall in Tallahassee, Fla., on the 19th of August. The family would like to thank everyone for their well wishes, visits, and prayers during the last month and express their deep gratitude for the doctors and nurses who cared for him at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Moffitt Cancer Center, Orlando Health, and Cornerstone Hospice," concluded the statement. Thrasher is remembered as a dedicated public servant whose work shaped Florida's political landscape and left a lasting impact on higher education in the state.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers pass controversial bill that could hamper weather forecasters: 'Feeding into conspiracy theories'
Lawmakers in Florida have passed a bill that would effectively ban the use of weather modification practices. On April 30, the Florida House of Representatives passed a bill that would outlaw weather modification and geoengineering in the state. First filed in November 2024 by Florida State Senator Ileana Garcia, Senate Bill 56 had quickly garnered the support of leading Republican figures in the state, including Governor Ron DeSantis. SB 56 would prohibit geoengineering and weather modification activities by banning the release or dispersion of substances into the atmosphere to alter temperature, weather, climate, or sunlight intensity. It also aims to repeal existing laws related to weather modification permits and increase penalties for violations. While Garcia addressed the Florida Senate in early April, she pointed to the idea of "cloud seeding." According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report, cloud seeding is a decades-old technology that injects tiny particles, generally silver iodide crystals, into clouds in order to trigger rain or snow. However, the data surrounding the effectiveness of cloud seeding remains inconclusive. Garcia referred to cloud seeding as "something as simple as sending up a $30 balloon that you can buy on Amazon with specific chemicals so that you can alter the weather or solar radiation," she said. "It seems very concerning to me. I have a problem with people spraying perfume next to me sometimes," Garcia added. "Don't you have a problem with people spraying things into the atmosphere that really have no type of empirical data?" As noted in SB 56, the bill would also require publicly owned airports to file monthly reports to the Florida Department of Transportation regarding any aircraft equipped for geoengineering or weather modification. In addition, the bill also removes the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's ability to conduct studies, research, experimentation, and evaluations in the field of weather modification. Florida state representative Anna Eskamani criticized the logic behind the bill. "This bill is feeding into conspiracy theories, and I think it's important that we do not legislate under that type of pressure but that we legislate on science, we legislate on fact, we legislate not on fear but on information," Eskamai told Florida Politics. "The fact that this bill does not require the consultation of a meteorologist, the consultation of scientists to say [whether this] is suspicious activity is absolutely going to create an environment where things will be reported nonstop, bogging down the department and now potentially bogging down law enforcement who have a lot of more important work to do." Governor DeSantis has already signaled his intention to sign SB 56 into law. On April 2, the Florida governor posted a video to X in which he condemned the practice of geoengineering and other weather modifications. Do you think governments should ban gas stoves? Heck yes! Only in new buildings Only in restaurants Heck no! Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "People got a lot of kooky ideas that they can get in and put things in the atmosphere to block the sun and save us from climate change," DeSantis said. "We're not playing that game in Florida." Once SB 56 is signed, violators could potentially face third-degree felony charges, up to five years in prison, and fines up to $100,000. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
