Lawmakers in Tallahassee work on final bills to leave committee, and few surprises expected in Michigan primary.
Lawmakers address AI in political campaigns
More than 1,800 bills were filed for consideration during this year’s legislative session. In the seven weeks since, some of those bills are on the cusp of becoming laws.
Others hit stumbling blocks.
Today was the final day of scheduled committee meetings, giving lawmakers one last chance to move legislation for a potential floor vote.
Any bills unable to garner approval are now all but doomed for this year.
One proposal set for a house vote is HB 919, which would regulate the use of artificial intelligence in political ads.
With election season already picking up, lawmakers are working to put guard rails on artificial intelligence.
This legislation is the first of its kind and it comes just months before the next election cycle.
House Bill 919 focuses on emerging AI technology. The bill would require political ads generated by AI to come with a public notice.
“The increasing access to sophisticated AI-generated content threatens the integrity of elections by facilitating the dissemination of misleading or completely fabricated information that appears more realistic than ever,” Rep. Alex Rizzo said.
The Florida house is expected to deliver a final vote on the bill Tuesday. The goal, supporters say, is to make political ads more honest
“Cs for HB 919 seeks to address the rising concern of deceptive campaign advertising by mandating disclaimers on political ads that contain certain content generated by artificial intelligence,” Rizzo said.
Democrats are on the board with the bill. The measure thus far is advancing with bipartisan support.
But even then, there are some lingering questions.
“If someone manipulates their own picture to make them have no wrinkles and that type of stuff using AI, you know, I’m 40. I got I got a little line right there. I don’t want it in my pictures. So I would have to use that disclaimer?” Rep. Angie Nixon said.
Biden and Trump expected to win Michigan primary
With the South Carolina Republican primary in the rearview mirror, the race for the Democratic and GOP presidential nominations now heads to the first battleground state in November’s election: Michigan.
The Wolverine State is a crucial one for both parties. Narrowly winning the reliably blue state helped give Donald Trump the presidency in 2016, the first Republican to do so since 1988, but Joe Biden won it back in 2020 by more than 150,000 votes.
While both Biden and Trump lead in recent polling, both frontrunners face major questions in Michigan’s primary, which is the last before Super Tuesday on March 5, when more than a dozen states — accounting for roughly a third of all delegates to the nominating conventions — are up for grabs.
For Trump, it will be another test of the strength of his last remaining challenger, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley — and if a power struggle between competing factions of the state’s Republican Party will have any impact.
On the other side of the spectrum, Biden faces a challenge not from a particular candidate — though his last remaining challenger for the Democratic nomination, Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips will be on the ballot — but from a push by progressive activists to get voters to pick “uncommitted” as a form of protest to push the incumbent to back a permanent cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
As of Monday, more than 1 million people have already voted in the primary — 927,000 by mail and 78,000 in person early — a 13% higher pre-Election Day turnout than the state saw in 2020, according to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
Marijuana bill leaves hemp shop owner uncertain about future
Senate Bill 1698 would limit THC and other cannabinoids recently passed and a similar House Bill is expected to do the same. Some hemp shop owners say it could spell disaster for their industry in Florida.
In Clearwater Beach, Matthew Wetzel has run LGH Dispensary for the past four years. He has worked in the industry for longer and says hemp shops bring billions in revenue to the Sunshine State. However, as he looks over all the products in his display case, he doesn’t have a rosy outlook on the future.
“Everything is going to be above the 2-milligram mark or 10-milligrams per package and we’re definitely going to be losing the flower as well,” Wetzel said.
Senate Bill 1698 would prohibit businesses from manufacturing or selling products that contain more than .3% Delta-9 and limit other cannabinoids. Senate Health Policy Chair Republican Colleen Burton sponsored the bill. She wants to cap the levels of THC and change packaging that she says is geared towards kids.
“I have a real concern for the health and safety for Floridians with these items on the market,” Burton said.
For Wetzel, it’s about more than just keeping his doors open for him. He’s worried about his 12-year-old son who uses CBD for seizures. He said once his son started using CBD, it was life changing. He says he worries about others who use it as a medication.
“You may have some family members that have debilitative issues, whether they are children or not (…) that have chosen this holistic plant. Think about them,” Wetzel said.
He is not sure what the future might bring if the bills are put into law. If passed, the law would be implemented in October. However, Wetzel said he plans to fight the legislation and possibly file a lawsuit against the state.