Florida's 2026 Session Lurches Toward Close With Culture Wars Winning, Budgets Stalling
Sen. Don Gaetz calls session 'embarrassing' as DEI ban clears, transportation package dies, and a required budget remains unsigned
Veteran investigative journalist with 20 years covering local government and politics in Florida. Skeptical, thorough, and deeply connected to the community. Started at the Stuart News, covered Tallahassee for a decade, came back home.
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Sen. Don Gaetz calls session 'embarrassing' as DEI ban clears, transportation package dies, and a required budget remains unsigned
The suspect's profile — an out-of-state physician — raises urgent questions about motive, mental state, and what brought him to the Treasure Coast
The death of 5-year-old Zam Tuang exposes a recurring crisis at the intersection of wandering risk, retention pond density, and stalled local safety policy
No confirmed local impact identified; TC Sentinel monitoring for effects in Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties
A $1.4 billion gap between the House's $113.6 billion plan and the Senate's $115 billion proposal forces an extended session, threatening key programs in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties.
A unanimous council vote locks in the Southern Grove land deal — the real questions are what taxpayers gave up and what Costco gets in return
A $500K bond signals serious charges. Questions about district screening, parent notification, and prior complaints remain unanswered.
St. Lucie County investigators probe fatal confrontation near Fort Pierce after argument escalates and firearm changes hands
The "Visible Act" would have required immigration officers to display name tags or badge numbers during enforcement operations on the Treasure Coast and statewide
A Hobe Sound restaurateur and a Fort Pierce resident were deep inside Israel when U.S.-Iran hostilities erupted — their firsthand account offers the Treasure Coast's closest view yet of the crisis
Crude oil tops $109 a barrel as Strait of Hormuz standoff chokes global supply; local commuters, fishermen, and small businesses face the sharpest pump shock in years
Court filings reveal state could absorb full cost of Everglades detention facility; Treasure Coast legislators' roles under scrutiny
The Martin County nonprofit's public Form 990 filings disclose compensation, governance and operations for fiscal years ending in June 2023 and 2024.
SB 1434 mandates housing on contaminated sites in counties over 1.475 million residents like Miami-Dade and Broward, excluding Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River due to lower populations.
Proposed facilities could strain regional infrastructure and threaten the Indian River Lagoon as local governments weigh what — and how much — they're being offered in return
St. Lucie Sheriff testifies before Congress on CDL licensing failures while a separate Florida sheriff battles county commissioners over 2026 spending
A child molestation charge against a school transportation employee lands as the district grapples with enrollment loss, budget cuts, and questions about oversight
City council poised to approve transaction touted as top resident priority — sale price, incentives, and potential conflicts still need public airing
A TC Sentinel analysis of federal enforcement data reveals a troubling pattern of violations across Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties — with one St. Lucie facility fined $72,270 alone
At least 16 regulatory signals in one week point to a systemic breakdown in elder care oversight from Vero Beach to Stuart
The measure, approved 25-11, bars local governments from supporting diversity programs and allows Gov. DeSantis to remove violating officials.
Keith Pearson tells House committee a broken licensing system let an illegal truck driver onto Florida roads — raising questions about commercial vehicle enforcement on the Treasure Coast
CMS data shows facilities in Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, and Vero Beach have collected more than $188,000 in combined penalties — all carry federal abuse icons
CMS data shows 21 facilities across Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties carry abuse icons; six fined a combined $224,000+
The 108-2 vote on HB 657 allows residents in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties to dissolve dysfunctional boards and access state-funded dispute resolution.
The Governmental Finance Corporation will vote Monday on a sale in Southern Grove for a 170,000-square-foot store and gas station west of I-95, next to a new distribution depot.
Treasure Coast hunters and anglers would save on firearm accessories and camping items during an extended sales tax holiday through December under the bill passed 105-2.
Enrollment decline and a statewide rule change raise hard questions about where public school dollars are going — and who's making the decisions
District faces historic student decline with no clear public accounting of losses — or where families are fleeing
How a suspended doctor wanted for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman ended up in Indian River County — and who owns the property where it happened — remains unanswered
Reimbursable funding up to $5,000 per property is available now on a first-come, first-served basis to enhance storefronts in the FPRA District.
Whistleblower lawsuit names President Timothy Moore, board of trustees in retaliation, defamation, and breach of contract claims filed in St. Lucie Circuit Court
Marvin Pyles alleges whistleblower retaliation, defamation after raising alarms about false vendors, diverted donor funds, and a bloated ERP contract
Lethal injection closes a decades-long chapter for Sgt. Danny Parrish's family — and raises fresh questions about Florida's accelerating march through death row
The bill directs the DEP to craft a plan reversing ecological damage from the unfinished Cross Florida Barge Canal and Rodman Dam, benefiting Treasure Coast ties to the St. Johns River.
The statewide initiative targets high-need areas, expanding access to services for pregnant women and new mothers in Indian River County.
The Treasure Coast law enforcement leader urged federal lawmakers to address public safety risks from issuing commercial driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants.
The bill targets reversing Rodman Dam's impacts from the failed Cross Florida Barge Canal, potentially enhancing St. Johns River health for Treasure Coast communities.
Former finance chief alleges misconduct at tri-county institution; lawsuit points to text messages as proof of wrongdoing at the presidential level
Kearse asked for forgiveness before his death; the Parrish family says justice took too long — and Florida is executing inmates at a record pace
Former Colorado doctor wanted on sex assault charge opens fire during arrest attempt; questions remain about local ties, jurisdiction, and Florida charges
Lawsuit against Indian River State College raises governance questions as court filing reportedly implicates top leadership in potential wrongdoing
Billy Leon Kearse, 53, put to death for 1991 slaying of Sgt. Danny Parrish — as Florida's 19 executions this year surpass Texas, Alabama and South Carolina combined
Thomas Earl Steffens, 72, wanted on Colorado date rape warrants, ambushed a six-officer tactical team — and was still flipping off deputies after taking four bullets
Governor signals a special or extended session is needed; Senate concerned about fiscal impact on smaller counties
Deal averts potential network disruption for Florida Blue members who use Cleveland Clinic Florida facilities
Decoupling from federal code could cost state up to $3.5B next year; business lobby raises concerns
A murder conviction in the 2023 MLK Day massacre and a DUI manslaughter arrest from Halloween 2024 both landed in the same week — and both leave hard questions unanswered
From brush fires to burn bans to deadly house fires, a dangerous pattern emerges as Florida hits historic drought conditions
IRCSO calls it a 'suspicious death,' but the trail leads north — to a chase, a jump into frigid water, and two agencies that need to answer questions