Election security

Omali Yeshitela, Jesse Nevel and Penny Hess spoke out against charges they worked as "Illegal Agents of the Russian Government."

Among those four charged is Omali Yeshitela, chairman of the St. Petersburg-based Uhuru Movement.

The Senate bill immediately drew criticism Monday from Rep. Anna Eskamani, an Orlando Democrat who called it “absurd to drop a 98-page elections bill with just a 24-hour notice for its first hearing.”

Republicans say the program would help migrants by taking them to sanctuary cities. Democrats say it as a political stunt meant to serve the governor’s national political ambitions.

It will address a range of topics, including election crimes and hurricane recovery.

Secretary of State Cord Byrd outlined $3.15 million for the Office of Election Crimes and Security, which was created last year and is staffed by five people.

It comes after the effort the convince voters that President Biden's 2020 victory was not fraudulent, and the recent arrests of convicted felons who were accused of voter fraud.

Pete Antonacci, a political fix-it man who garnered bipartisan praise during a career in public service that spanned more than three decades, died of a heart attack Friday afternoon. He most recently headed a controversial new state office charged with probing voting irregularities.

State leaders say the primaries went smoothly, but they’re still talking about work for the state’s new Office of Election Crimes and Security.

So far, more than 321,000 voters in Hillsborough County have requested mail-in ballots.

The U.S. Department of State recently announced a reward of up to $10 million for information on foreign interference in elections.

Legislation further tightening Florida’s voting laws made it through its first committee stop this week. It includes one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ priorities: the inclusion of a 15-person group of investigators to examine possible voting crimes.