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Gov. DeSantis continues imprint on State Board of Education with new appointments

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The Governor also reappointed one familiar face to the Board.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is making changes to the State Board of Education, naming two new members to the panel while also keeping a familiar face in place.

The Governor announced the appointment of Erika Fritz-Ochs and Luis Fuste, along with the reappointment of Dr. Grazie Christie, to the Board.

Fritz-Ochs has a background in education policy and also has classroom experience. She currently serves as Program Manager at the University of Florida’s Lastinger Center for Learning, a research hub focused on improving teaching and learning across the state.

Her résumé also includes work as an Educational Policy Consultant for the Florida Department of Education, a Research and Training Specialist for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and a teacher with Leon County and Pasco County schools.

She holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Saint Leo University and a master’s degree in elementary education from Nova Southeastern University.

Fuste holds legal and regulatory experience, along with a track record of civic involvement. A lawyer at Fuste Law, P.A., he has previously served on a range of boards and commissions, including the Florida Commission on Ethics and the Board of Chiropractic Medicine.

His community roles have also included positions with Little Bear Big Heart, Inc. and the Doral College Board of Trustees. Fuste earned his bachelor’s degree from Barry University and his law degree from Florida International University.

Christie, who is being reappointed, is a Miami-area radiologist with more than two decades of experience in diagnostics. She has been a conservative voice on education and cultural issues and is affiliated with Americans United for Life. Christie holds a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a medical degree from the University of Miami.

The Senate must also confirm all three selections.

The State Board of Education plays a central role in overseeing Florida’s K-12 system and some higher education governance, setting various rules and policies.



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Gov. DeSantis appoints former DOJ official to USF Board, reappoints 3 Trustees

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December 31, 2025

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All appointments require confirmation by the Senate.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed a former top Justice Department official and renewed the terms of three business and civic leaders on the University of South Florida Board of Trustees.

DeSantis appointed Chad Mizelle, adding a nationally known political figure to the Board that oversees one of Florida’s largest universities. DeSantis also reappointed Rogan Donelly, Michael Carrere and Lauran Monbarren to the Board.

Mizelle recently served as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) under Attorney General Pam Bondi. His exit earlier this year drew national coverage amid broader scrutiny of DOJ leadership decisions. According to reporting by Axios, Mizelle worked with Bondi to reverse Joe Biden-era policies and advance President Donald Trump’s agenda, including the firing of staff accused of politicizing the Department by the President.

Previously, Mizelle also served as the Chief Legal Officer of Affinity Partners, Chief of Staff and acting General Counsel for the Department of Homeland Security, Associate Counsel at The White House, and Chair of the Florida Elections Commission.

Donelly is President and CEO of Sarasota-based Tervis Tumbler Company, which underwent a chapter 11 restructuring in 2024. He also serves as a trustee of the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium and is a recipient of USF’s Outstanding Alumni Award.

Carrere is a retired executive who previously served as CEO of Lykes Brothers Inc. and also as a member of the Northeast Bank of Clearwater Board of Directors, the American Meat Institute Board of Directors, and the Florida Citrus Commission. 

Monbarren is Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Simpson Environmental Services and Simpson Farms. She previously worked in higher education administration at Pasco-Hernando State College and taught in the Pasco County School District.

All four appointments will require confirmation by the Senate.



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SCOFLA sides with Florida Bar, rejects James Uthmeier push to waive bar exam for government lawyers

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1 hour ago

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December 31, 2025

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The Florida Supreme Court has shut down a proposal from Attorney General James Uthmeier that would have allowed certain out-of-state lawyers to practice in Florida without ever taking the state’s bar exam.

In a unanimous order, the court rejected Uthmeier’s request to amend the rules governing the Florida Bar, leaving intact long-standing requirements that lawyers demonstrate their knowledge of Florida law via the bar exam before practicing.

In a petition, Uthmeier argued that state agencies are struggling to recruit and retain experienced lawyers because of the time and expense associated with sitting for the Florida Bar. His proposal would have allowed lawyers already licensed and in good standing in other states to work for Florida government offices for up to three years without passing the Florida exam, so long as they were employed in a public-sector role.

He argued that the Bar’s existing rules aim to protect private clients. These lawyers, however, would be representing government clients that need less protection, Uthmeier argued.

The Attorney General’s Office framed the idea as a response to staffing shortages, particularly in specialized areas of law where agencies compete with the private sector. He argued that experienced lawyers from other states should not be sidelined by exam schedules while agencies face growing caseloads and enforcement demands.

But the proposal ran into opposition from the Florida Bar. Members warned that the change would undermine the court’s constitutional authority to regulate the practice of law and weaken safeguards designed to protect the public. The Bar emphasized that the exam and vetting process are key mechanisms for ensuring lawyers understand Florida-specific law and meet ethical standards.

“While the bar shares a desire to ensure state agencies can effectively address attorney recruitment and retention challenges, and is sympathetic to these very real challenges, the structure and operation of (the proposal) run afoul of the text of the state Constitution and should therefore be denied,” the Bar wrote.

Uthmeier rebutted those concerns in his response.

“Opponents also suggest that government attorneys who have passed character and fitness reviews in another state but not in Florida could pose a danger to the public,” Uthmeier wrote. “An experienced attorney from out of state, however, poses far less risk to the public than a newly minted JD who just passed the bar.”

But the court agreed with the Bar. In its order issued this week, the Justices said existing rules already strike the proper balance between addressing workforce needs and maintaining public confidence in the legal profession. The court noted that current certification programs allow out-of-state lawyers to pursue admission while employed by the state, but stop short of letting them bypass the exam entirely.



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Danny Alvarez proposes statewide counterterrorism unit with teams across Florida

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2 hours ago

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December 31, 2025

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The teams would be able to operate independently or in coordination with existing law enforcement.

Riverview Republican Rep. Danny Alvarez wants to create a statewide counterintelligence and counterterrorism unit within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

Alvarez has filed a bill (HB 945) that would require FDLE to establish and administer a Statewide Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Unit to “detect, identify, neutralize, and exploit” adversary intelligence entities, terrorists, insider threats, corporate threats and other foreign adversaries.

The bill directs FDLE to establish a 10-person leadership and organizational team by July 1, 2027, and to build out seven regional teams over time.

The statewide unit would be housed at FDLE’s regional operational center, and the seven dedicated teams would be aligned with each of Florida’s regional domestic security task forces. The teams would be able to operate independently or in coordination with existing law enforcement. Each team would include supervisory agents, intelligence analysts and designated federal, state and local liaison officers.

The legislation, filed Tuesday, authorizes the unit to conduct counterintelligence and counterterrorism operations by “analyzing patterns of life, gathering actionable intelligence, and formulating effective plans of action, and by executing arrests.”

The bill also contains language setting minimum experience requirements for team members, limiting eligibility to individuals with backgrounds in military service, intelligence agencies, law enforcement or counterintelligence and counterterrorism work.

FDLE would also need to request funding annually until the unit reaches full capacity no later than Dec. 30, 2033.

The bill would take effect July 1 if approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.



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