By Jim Turner and Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — With Gov. Ron DeSantis signing a state budget and a flurry of other bills, the dust has settled on the 2025 legislative session. Here are 10 laws that took effect Tuesday, the start the 2025-2026 fiscal year: BALLOT INITIATIVES: A law (HB […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed what he said was a $117.4 billion budget for the fiscal year that will start Tuesday and issued $567 million in line-item vetoes, while saying the plan better prepares the state for potential economic downturns. “I think what you […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Additional restrictions on the state’s ballot-initiative process that take effect Tuesday could make it impossible for groups to gather enough signatures to place measures before voters next year, lawyers for plaintiffs challenging the new law argued Monday. Florida Decides Healthcare, a political committee sponsoring a […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Saying parents should make decisions about their children’s social-media use, industry groups Friday argued a federal appeals court should continue to block Florida from enforcing a law that targets social-media platforms. The groups NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association filed a 30-page document […]
By The News Service of Florida An estimated 7,415 first-time unemployment claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended June 14, according to a U.S. Department of Labor report released Wednesday. The total was down from an estimated 8,786 claims during the previous week. Florida has averaged 6,377 claims a week since the […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — As Gov. Ron DeSantis seeks to remake higher education in Florida, the state university system’s Board of Governors on Wednesday signed off on controversial new leaders at two universities and approved hiring a former lieutenant governor as president of a third. The board’s confirmations of […]
By Jim Turner & Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — House and Senate budget negotiators agreed to pay raises for state employees, with bigger boosts going to law enforcement officers and firefighters, as talks continued Tuesday on a state spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ed Hooper, […]
By The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — House and Senate budget leaders Monday rushed to finalize a new state spending plan, while Gov. Ron DeSantis continued calling for giving property-tax rebates. Senate Appropriations Chairman Ed Hooper, R-Trinity, and House Budget Chairman Lawrence McClure, R-Dover, swapped budget offers during an afternoon meeting and were scheduled […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Former Republican Congressman David Jolly on Thursday became the first prominent Democrat to enter the 2026 gubernatorial race, saying he can attract middle-ground voters who want leaders to address issues such as rising housing and property-insurance costs. Jolly, 52, represented a Pinellas County district in […]
By Tom Urban, Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — The Florida International University Board of Trustees on Monday unanimously approved appointing former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez as the university’s president. Nuñez has served as interim president since February and emerged last month as the sole finalist to become president. The appointment remains […]