By The News Service of Florida The Legislature on Friday formally sent about 60 bills to Gov. Ron DeSantis, including a measure that would back away from a requirement about starting high-school classes later in the morning. The measure (SB 296) would largely undo a 2023 law that said high schools could not start earlier […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida ALLAHASSEE — As legislative leaders try to restart the budget process, Gov. Ron DeSantis indicated Monday he has no desire to take part in a sit-down suggested by the state Republican Party to hammer out differences. DeSantis rejected a “summit” with House and Senate leaders, an idea […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Tallahassee TALLAHASSEE — Legislative budget talks blew up Friday, as the House, the Senate and Gov. Ron DeSantis tangle over tax cuts. House Speaker Daniel Perez accused Senate President Ben Albritton of backing out of a “historic tax proposal” that the leaders outlined last week as they extended […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida Though they will have to return to Tallahassee to hammer out a budget, Florida lawmakers Friday night finished most of the business of the 2025 legislative session. Here’s a look at 10 big issues from the session — some that passed, some that didn’t and some that […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Attorneys for the state acknowledged Tuesday that a 2021 Florida law that placed restrictions on social-media platforms posed “First Amendment problems” but urged a federal judge to reject a legal challenge that wound its way to the U.S. Supreme Court before being sent back to […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida lawmakers late Friday approved barring students in elementary and middle schools from using cell phones during the school day — and testing the idea in high schools. Current law prevents students from using cell phones during instructional time, but the change would expand that […]
By Jim Turner, Tom Urban and Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — House and Senate leaders said late Friday they had reached agreement on a “framework” for a budget deal that would include $2.8 billion in tax cuts, with lawmakers expected to return to the Capitol during the week of May 12 […]
By Dara Kam and Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — In a stunning move less than a week before the scheduled end of the legislative session, Senate Minority Leader Jason Pizzo announced Thursday that he has left the Democratic Party and registered as a voter with no party affiliation. Pizzo, who was […]
By The News Service of Florida Marva Johnson, a Charter Communications executive and former member of the State Board of Education, is one of four finalists to become president of Florida A&M University, according to an announcement Tuesday. Johnson, who has worked as group vice president for Charter since 2020, served eight years on the […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s jobless rate held steady in March. The Florida Department of Commerce on Friday released a report that said the state had a 3.6 percent unemployment rate in March, the same as in February. Florida had an estimated 403,000 people who qualified as out of […]