Senate Seeks Stiffer Penalties for Killing Police

Senate lawmakers again passed legislation to raise the minimum penalty for manslaughter in the death of a police officer to life in prison without parole, with the companion House bill headed to the floor. House lawmakers failed to pass last year’s version of the bill, making this the third attempt.

The Senate voted 31-4 to pass SB 156, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Tom Leek from District 7 in Northeast Florida. Democrats and defense attorneys have sharply opposed the measure.

Known as the Officer Jason Raynor Act, the bill follows the 2021 shooting death of a Daytona Beach police officer whose killer received a 30-year sentence.

Opponents warned that the bill removes a statutory safeguard that bars officers from using excessive force. Supporters said courts would retain authority to determine fault.

Medicaid Expansion Campaign Relaunches

Florida Decides Healthcare (FDH), a political committee, relaunched its campaign on Sunday for a Medicaid expansion initiative for the 2028 ballot.

FDH had previously targeted a 2026 ballot but decided to delay due to a new state law that adds hurdles to citizen-led ballot initiatives. The campaign relaunch comes as FDH is challenging HB 1205 in federal court, with the trial set to begin on Feb. 9.

The committee said it is working with 100 grassroots groups, including statewide and national health groups, and launching a digital advertising push to collect signatures.

Pirates Brave the Cold in Tampa

Despite the cold, rain, and strong winds, hundreds of thousands of people lined a 4.5-mile stretch of Bayshore Boulevard for the annual Gasparilla Parade of Pirates on Saturday in Tampa. You can see photos here.

The celebration started after Tampa Mayor Jane Castor allowed the Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla to steal the key to the city. The parade featured law enforcement motorcades, marching bands, floats, and Grand Marshal Pat Maroon, a three-time Stanley Cup champion and former Tampa Bay Lightning forward.

On Sunday, Raymond James Stadium was decorated with a pirate-themed motif as the Lightning faced the Boston Bruins in the 2026 NHL Stadium Series. It marked the second time a major league sports event was held in Tampa on Gasparilla weekend.

Gasparilla festivities date back to 1904. Related events continue throughout February, including the Gasparilla Distance Classic, the 79th Annual Fiesta Day, and the Sant’ Yago Knight Parade, an illuminated night event voted one of the Southeast’s best.

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➤ Statewide: The Florida Chamber Foundation’s 2026 Economic Outlook Report projects that Florida’s GDP will continue to outpace the national growth rate, building on the trend of exceeding the U.S. average by 2.3 percentage points annually over the past four years. (See Report)

➤ Merritt Island: NASA has delayed an upcoming manned trip to the moon due to near-freezing temperatures expected at the launch site. The first Artemis moonshot is now targeted for no earlier than Feb. 8, two days later than planned. (More)

➤ Miami-Dade County: Jackson Health System’s CEO Carlos Migoya is stepping down after more than a decade of leading the public health system. (More)

➤ Tampa: A new analysis puts the University of South Florida’s economic impact on the Bay region at nearly $6.6 billion a year. Based on fiscal year 2023-24 data, the analysis estimates USF generated $9.8 billion in added income statewide. (More)

➤ Gainesville: GRU customers will see their bills rise for the second time in two months after winter storms caused nationwide gas supply shortages. Beginning Feb. 1, GRU raised its electric fuel adjustment from 40 mills to 45 mills. (More)

➤ Miami: Luther Campbell, the rap artist known as Uncle Luke, may run as a Democrat in District 20, which includes parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties. Last week, Campbell resigned as head football coach at Miami Edison Senior High School. (More)

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➤  The Tampa Bay Lightning came back from a four-goal deficit for the first time in franchise history yesterday, defeating the Boston Bruins 6-5 in a shootout at the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay winger Jake Guentzel netted the deciding goal. (See Goal)

➤ No. 19 Florida men’s basketball crushed No. 23 Alabama 100-77 yesterday to improve to 7-2 in the SEC, good for second place in the conference. (More)

➤ The NHL Florida Panthers continued their losing streak on Saturday, falling in their third consecutive game, this time 2-1 to the visiting Winnipeg Jets. (More)

➤ Gov. Ron DeSantis and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred have scheduled a press conference for this week, discussing stadium options for the Tampa Bay Rays. (More)

Yesterday’s results: NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer | Golf | Australian Open

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➤ Miami-based Royal Caribbean announced it will expand its fleet with a new class of ships called the Discovery Class, designed to change how guests experience destinations around the world. (More)

➤ Miramar-based VSE, a publicly traded company that provides distribution and repair services to aviation and aerospace businesses, said it will acquire Atlanta-based Precision Aviation Group for about $2.025 billion in cash and equity. (More)

➤ University of Florida researchers are working on a way to get ahead of early blight disease in Florida’s celery crops. The state is the nation’s third-leading producer of the vegetable. (More)

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➤ First Lady Melania Trump’s movie, Melania, garnered $8 million, marking a stronger-than-anticipated opening weekend and the best box office numbers in a decade for a documentary. (More)

➤ Panhandle residents rallied to save a rare coastal dune lake in Walton County, which is one of 15 freshwater lakes located along 26 miles of sandy white coastline. (More)

➤ A rescued manatee mother and calf were released back into the wild, returning to their natural habitat off Key Largo. The duo, named Stripes and Argyle, were found by the Dolphin Research Center after being caught in a fishing line. (See Video)

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Did you attend the Gasparilla Pirate Fest this past weekend?

1. Yes
2. No

Sunday’s Results:

Do you plan on watching the Winter Olympics?

1. Yes: 56%
2. No: 44%

Julia Tuttle is the founder of which Florida city?

Show me the answer