Blaise Gainey
Lead Government Reporter/ProducerBlaise Gainey is a State Government Reporter for WFSU News. Blaise hails from Windermere, Florida. He graduated from The School of Journalism at the Florida A&M University. He formerly worked for The Florida Channel, WTXL-TV, and before graduating interned with WFSU News. He is excited to return to the newsroom. In his spare time he enjoys watching sports, Netflix, outdoor activities and anything involving his daughter.
Follow Blaise Gainey on Twitter: @BlaiseGainey
Email Blaise Gainey at blgainey@fsu.edu
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Governor Ron DeSantis and The Florida Cabinet chose former Broward County Supervisor of Elections Pete Antonacci as the next chief judge of the state Division of Administrative Hearings. This will be Antonacci’s first time in a judicial role.DeSantis said the smooth election in Broward convinced him Antonacci could handle the job. -
In the upcoming legislative session, Sen. Danny Burgess (R-Tampa) will be the chair of a new committee focused on pandemic preparedness and response. He spoke with WFSU about his expectations for the committee. -
State elected democrats say the raid on the home of a former Florida Department of Health worker is an attempt to silence the truth. On Monday, FDLE seized her laptop from the home of Rebekah Jones as part of a hacking investigation. The state says someone with Jones’ IP address sent an unauthorized message through DOH’s emergency alert system. Sen. Lori Berman (D-Boynton Beach) used the raid to criticize DeSantis’ pandemic response: -
Democrats in the Florida Senate are criticizing Governor Ron DeSantis for what they say has been a lack of leadership when it comes to the pandemic. Sen. Gary Farmer (D-Fort Lauderdale) is the Senate minority leader. -
Citizens Property Insurance is warning if it doesn’t stop writing new policies, it will be back up to insuring close to a quarter of Florida’s housing market. The state-backed company is designed to be used as a last resort for people who can’t find property insurance in the private market. But Barry Gilway warns they’re increasingly becoming the only option. -
The City of Tallahassee is trying to work out how it can help citizens that may soon lose their home due to unemployment caused by COVID-19. Currently, there are more than 570 evictions pending in Leon County. That number is expected to rise once a federal eviction freeze comes to an end. -
More than 570 eviction cases in Leon County are open. Some of those are residents who have qualified for a federal moratorium on evictions. It essentially paused those cases while many people found themselves out of work and struggling to pay rent during the coronavirus pandemic. But that moratorium expires at the end of this month. -
A controversial proposal to allow guns to be carried on public college and university campuses in Florida is back. The measure has failed several times in the past but the sponsor believes it’ll have a shot this year since Republicans gained seats in the Florida legislature. The usual opponents are standing their ground on the issue. -
Florida A&M University President Larry Robinson signed a one-year contract extension Thursday, ensuring he will continue heading the school through 2021. Robinson’s original contract expires at the end of this year. FAMU board member David Lawrence Jr. says Robinson has turned the school around. -
Florida State University President Thrasher gave possibly his last State of the University address before the Faculty Senate Wednesday. Thrasher announced in September he would be stepping down once the school names a new President. Thrasher’s Wednesday address focused on how the pandemic has changed higher education.
