There's a lot going on in state government. And when Florida's legislative session starts Tuesday, it can be tough to stay on top of all the issues.
You've got a new team of journalists to help keep you informed.
Editor Stephanie Colombini and reporters Meghan Bowman and Douglas Soule are part of a reporting project called "Your Florida."
They'll appear on "Florida Matters" for special live coverage of Gov. Ron DeSantis' State of the State address, which includes the full speech and analysis, starting at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Ahead of that, they sat down with "Florida Matters" host Matthew Peddie to give you an idea of what to expect from the project.
Stephanie Colombini, you're the editor for the Your Florida team. What should people know about this project?
COLOMBINI: It's really all about connecting people with their state government. You know, there are laws passed that affect people's lives that you might not always think about, and so we want to help explain the process to people and just really make sure our coverage is always focused on, "How does this affect you, your neighborhood, your wallet?" And make it a more personal experience with the Florida Legislature.
Are there some issues that you're thinking of now, kind of looking out over the next 12 months?
COLOMBINI: We'll see as this legislative session takes off. Of course, immigration has already been a really important issue here in Florida, and how they're going to deal with that. We're looking at property insurance, condo legislation, changes in schools, there are so many things – roadways – that, you know, again, affect people every day, and we'll be on top of those issues and working with partners around the state to coordinate coverage so that everybody in Florida is informed.
Megan Bowman, you're the community engagement reporter. So what does that role entail?
BOWMAN: Well, it's a newer role, but I'm really excited about it because it allows me to go into the community and meet people, talk to them, listen to them. You know, a lot of times we speak to people and we need to get a story up. We're actually building relationships with people in the community. We're finding out what is important to them and what issues they want covered. And so that's kind of the cool thing, is that as we talk to community members across the state through social media, on our website, through email, however. They're going to inform us what they are really concerned about.
Douglas Soule, people have probably read your byline in the Tallahassee Democrat or USA Today, and you are based in Tallahassee. So what's the focus of your reporting?
SOULE: Well first off, like the majority of Floridians, I wasn't born in Florida. Unlike the majority of Floridians, when I came here several years ago, it was to live in Tallahassee and cover the state government. That required me to rapidly acquire access to and understanding of the state civic process. With this new position, I want to bring that understanding and access to readers across the state, to listeners across the state.
So you're giving the audience a glimpse inside the corridors of power, in a way to kind of figure out how government process affects them.
SOULE: Yes, and you know, things can get complicated, things can get intense, contentious, and I want to just distill all that for our listeners.
