Cody Butler
Florida Capitol Bureau Reporter
Tallahassee
Cody Butler is an award-winning multimedia journalist. He came to Florida to launch the Gray Florida Capitol Bureau in May 2023, covering state government for several Gray-owned stations in Florida.
Prior to living in the Sunshine State, Cody worked at WILX-TV in Lansing, Michigan. During his time in Lansing, he covered major events including the plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the fallout from the 2020 presidential election, and reported live from the shooting at Michigan State University in 2023.
Before working in Michigan, Cody was the senior reporter at WFFT-TV in Fort Wayne, Indiana. While working in Fort Wayne, he was recognized for his breaking news coverage by the Indiana chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
He also worked as a news producer at WTVG-TV in Toledo, Ohio, and as a reporter for KWYB-TV in Bozeman, Montana.
Cody is a graduate of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana with a degree in Journalism/Telecommunications. He is also a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors.
The Florida Supreme Court says victims’ names aren’t guaranteed to be protected under Marsy’s Law.
DeSantis and Newsom have been attacking each other on social media for months.
Florida is on track to be short by nearly 18,000 doctors by 2035.
The grand jury estimates there are one million illegal immigrants in the state.
The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Head Start funding, is proposing requiring programs to pay close to what public schools pay.
Florida law says drivers have to move over for service and emergency vehicles on the side of the road. In January, that law will expand to include disabled vehicles.
It’s something the legislature is trying to tackle from many different angles.
The old boats at Wakulla Springs were at the end of their useful life
Florida Division of Emergency Management director Kevin Guthrie told a House committee Thursday the state has secured $273 million from the federal government within the first 90 days after the storm.
The money from the National Opioid Settlement with drug makers and pharmacies needs to go toward programs like substance abuse recovery, naloxone and education to fight the opioid epidemic.
A week ago, the House overwhelmingly voted down a resolution to call for “de-escalation and ceasefire in Israel and occupied Palestine.”
Those regulations include things like how often school bus inspections to how much time students get for recess.
Friday, thousands of people of all ages lined the streets outside the Capitol for the largest Veterans Day celebration in the state.
Florida prisons offer vocational programs, like barbering, to help people find a job when they are released.
State senators said the changes created during this week's special session should get about 9,000 kids off the waitlist.
State representatives voted on resolutions to condemn the Hamas terror attacks in Israel.
The storm made landfall in Taylor County as a strong category 3 hurricane in August, causing more than $447 million worth of damage to farmers.
The Florida legislature will convene for a special session on Monday.
Right now under Florida law, if a single adult dies from medical negligence, their adult children can’t sue over the death.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles encourages drivers to drive in the right lane.
A coalition of voter rights groups claim Florida’s 5th congressional district is unconstitutional.
The bill known as Cassie’s Law, would make every sheriff’s office in the state a safe location for parents to swap custody of their kids.
Politicians quickly started talking about what needs to be done to stop gun violence after at least 18 people were killed in Maine Wednesday night.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland was in Tallahassee Friday working with law enforcement to fight anti-Semitism threats.
Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency last week so the state could send resources to Israel.
Schools across Florida started the fall semester with nearly 7,000 teacher openings posted on district websites.
The state passed several new laws since the 2018 shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people to prevent and respond to similar shootings.
The state told a Senate committee Wednesday the cause of those drops are due to unwinding coverage after federal Covid-19 rules ended in April.
The state encourages people to shop around for insurance.
The Federal Reserve says ATM withdrawals dropped substantially from 2018 to 2021.
Since July 1, unions representing Florida’s public employees, like teachers and bus drivers, could no longer collect dues straight from paychecks.
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz brought the vote to remove McCarthy after the former speaker struck a deal with Democrats last weekend to avoid a government shutdown.
Two bills addressing abortion were filed in the 2024 legislature less than a month after the Florida Supreme Court heard arguments on the 15-week ban signed into law in 2022.
Anyone wanting to buy a gun in Florida has to wait at least three days for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to run a background check.
The FBI is noticing more sextortion reports using AI.
A recent Pew Research Center survey says 65% of Americans support moving away from the Electoral College.
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to soon decide if Florida can import cheaper prescription drugs from Canadian companies.
If Congress doesn't pass a short-term spending package, the federal government will shutdown Saturday.
The former leaders of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence are accused of organizing a scheme to defraud taxpayers of millions of dollars.
The state uses the center to coordinate resources to respond to any disaster, including every hurricane.
The House of Representatives started committee meetings Tuesday at the Capitol.
Rep. Daniel Perez, (R) Miami, was named “Speaker Designate” during a ceremony in the House Chamber Monday morning.
Groups dropped off boxes filled with cease and desist letters at the governor’s office Friday.
Florida schools are required to have a policy to remove books if anyone files a formal complaint.
The new COVID-19 vaccine was approved by the FDA and CDC this week.
Kratom isn’t regulated on a federal level, so many states, including Florida, are now putting restrictions in place.
Monday, the state honored all those children during the 25th Florida Missing Children’s Day ceremony in Tallahassee.
If the 15-week ban is upheld, an even stricter six-week ban would automatically take effect about a month after the Court issues a decision.
Disasters are opportunities for criminals to take advantage of several programs in place.
Damage from Hurricane Idalia is costing insurance companies nearly $98 million.
