By Ryan Dailey, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida doctors could soon be prohibited from performing abortions past 15 weeks of pregnancy, after the Republican-controlled Senate approved a bill Thursday night that is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk. Senators approved the measure (HB 5) in a 23-15 party-line vote that was the […]
TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Senate is poised to consider a controversial measure that would prohibit school instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grade levels, as one Republican called on lawmakers to “soften” the bill when it is heard on the Senate floor. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the bill (HB 1557) in […]
By Ryan Dailey, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — As the House speaker decries a “fatherhood crisis” in the state, the House on Wednesday passed a wide-ranging measure that seeks to bolster fathers’ parenting skills. The House unanimously passed the measure (HB 7065), which deals largely with the Department of Children and Families and […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — With lawmakers preparing to craft a new state budget, economists estimated Friday that Florida will collect nearly $4 billion more in general-revenue taxes than had been expected over two years. The increased estimates come after federal stimulus money has helped fuel consumer spending and as […]
By Ryan Dailey, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the highly contagious omicron variant, Florida’s surgeon general on Monday indicated the state Department of Health would issue guidance that would “unwind the testing psychology” of the federal government. Comments by Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo and Gov. […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — First-time unemployment claims in Florida rolled in last month at a pace similar to the period before the coronavirus pandemic pounded the economy. The U.S. Department of Labor estimated 3,982 unemployment claims were filed in Florida during the holiday-shortened week that ended Dec. 25. If […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — From elections to vaccines, state and federal courts are weighing major Florida lawsuits. Here are 10 big legal issues to watch in 2022: — ELECTIONS: With high-profile elections looming in November, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker is slated to start a trial Jan. 31 […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed for an audit Monday that could result in Florida’s pension system divesting holdings in Chinese companies, calling economic efforts to include China’s government on the world stage a “big failure.” DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Tallahassee TALLAHASSEE — As she runs for governor in 2022, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried will have to fend off allegations that she violated state law by not properly disclosing financial information. The state Commission on Ethics on Wednesday issued an order finding “probable cause” that Fried did […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A divided federal appeals court Sunday rejected Florida’s request to at least temporarily block a Biden administration rule that would require health-care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. A panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, turned down a […]