Pasco County, Florida

Florida's agriculture commissioner race is heating up as incumbent Republican Wilton Simpson seeks a second term against Democratic challenger Joey Mendoza Atkins, a trial attorney. Simpson touts his record protecting farmland from development, upgrading wildfire-fighting equipment, and building a new headquarters projected to save taxpayers money long-term. Atkins is campaigning on affordability, pledging to close a tax loophole that lets developers claim agricultural exemptions, push for gas and diesel tax relief for farmers, and oppose data center expansion. The low-profile but consequential cabinet post oversees food safety, firearm licensing, and wildfire response. No public polling is yet available on the contest.

The Florida Department of Transportation has revoked permission for law enforcement to operate automated license plate readers on state highway rights-of-way, giving agencies 30 days to remove them. The order, which covers all camera makers including Flock Safety, Axon, and Motorola, cites a surge in deployments and "concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns, and surveillance schemes." Gov. Ron DeSantis had previously called the technology's spread "out of control." The rule does not affect cameras on local roads or private property, where most devices are located, but several Florida cities and counties, including Jacksonville, Pasco, Manatee, and Oviedo, are independently pulling their own cameras.

The move follows a broader national pullback: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott halted state funding for Flock cameras after a police officer was indicted for misusing the database, while cities in Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Massachusetts have suspended or canceled contracts over privacy concerns. The Institute for Justice counts 144 local governments that have dropped ALPR contracts in 2025, marking a rapid shift in Flock's political and public standing.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco is ending the county's interlocal agreement allowing license plate reader cameras along county rights-of-way, effective September 30, 2026, after county commissioners withdrew support for the program at meetings on Aug. 11 and Aug. 25, despite unanimously approving it in December 2024. Nocco, who opposes the termination, warned it will hurt the "solvability of crimes" and efforts to locate missing or endangered people, including human trafficking victims, and noted his agency's policy limited data retention to 30 days, well below the two years allowed under Florida law, with searches tied to a call for service or case number. Private and state-owned rights-of-way readers will remain unaffected.

The move follows heightened scrutiny of license plate reader misuse in Tampa Bay, including a Haines City officer arrested after allegedly searching his estranged wife's location over 700 times using Flock cameras. Gov. Ron DeSantis called license plate reader use "out of control," warning against Florida becoming a "surveillance state" while still backing tools for catching criminals. He said legislative action is likely needed and is reviewing New Hampshire's restrictions as a possible model, after an earlier AI Bill of Rights effort stalled in the Florida House.