Jose Oliva, former Speaker of the Florida House, said that current House leaders, after failing in their attacks on tort reform, are now using lawfare to smear the Hope Florida Foundation.
"The Florida House Leadership has thus far failed to pass a budget, launched attacks on the Governor's immigration reform, higher Ed reform, and tort reform, and they obstructed condo reform," said Oliva, Former Speaker of the House. "Having failed in their attacks, they've now turned to lawfare coordinated with liberal media against Hope Florida. They will fail there as well. For shame!"
Governor Ron DeSantis has criticized Representative Alex Andrade for raising concerns about the Hope Florida Foundation. DeSantis called the investigation a politically motivated "smear" against his wife, First Lady Casey DeSantis, who leads the initiative. He defended the program by crediting it with saving taxpayers $100 million and helping thousands off welfare. DeSantis accused Andrade of using "lawfare" to push a political agenda. This conflict arises amid Andrade's recent break from GOP leadership to support legislation rolling back parts of Florida’s 2023 tort reforms. The clash highlights growing internal tensions within Florida's Republican ranks, particularly around legal reform and executive oversight.
According to a new Florida Chamber of Commerce poll, Governor Ron DeSantis holds a 54% approval rating while President Donald Trump stands at 51%. Nearly half of Floridians (49%) believe the state is headed in the right direction. Views on the country are evenly split at 48% for both right direction and wrong track. The poll also indicates strong public support for the state’s 2023 tort reform laws, with only 15% saying they went too far and a plurality favoring even stricter measures to prevent lawsuit abuse. Conducted from May 2–10 by Cherry Communications, it surveyed 605 likely voters with a margin of error of four percentage points. These results underscore continued voter alignment with DeSantis’ reform agenda on legal and economic issues.
In a press release, Florida Justice Reform Institute President William Large said attempts by trial lawyers to roll back Governor Ron DeSantis’ tort reforms were politically motivated efforts aimed at discouraging other states from adopting similar measures. The Florida Senate rejected trial lawyer-sponsored legislation to rollback the 2023 legal reforms, and the bill was ultimately withdrawn. DeSantis had vowed to veto any legislation undermining these reforms, which have been credited with stabilizing Florida’s insurance market. Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky warned that proposed changes backed by trial lawyers would reverse progress by encouraging excessive litigation. Large said that Florida’s 2023 tort reforms will continue to serve as a national model.
In December 2024, ‘SeekingRents’ reported that Republican legislative leaders raised about $1 million in just over a week from attorneys and businesses linked to Morgan & Morgan, a major personal-injury law firm led by Democrat donor John Morgan. More than $600,000 came directly from Morgan & Morgan attorneys, while another $400,000 came from related industries like chiropractors and private investigators. This surge in contributions follows a legislative period in which Florida passed tort reform impacting firms like Morgan & Morgan's business model. House GOP leaders have taken tougher stances toward insurance companies following these donations. Morgan says lawmakers now have clear opportunities to rebalance the system.
Jose Oliva is noted as a Cuban-American entrepreneur and former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives who served from 2011 to 2020 with a focus on healthcare and education reform. He co-founded Oliva Cigar Co., serves as Chairman of its Board, and owns Oliva International Foods. In 2023, he was appointed to the Florida Board of Governors where he advocates for efficient growth based on need and free thought within the state university system.