By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Two state Republican leaders added their voices Monday in opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment that would gradually boost the minimum wage to $15 an hour in Florida. Republican Party of Florida Chairman Joe Gruters, a state senator from Sarasota, and incoming House Speaker Chris […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to prohibit local governments from being able to close restaurants and bars, as some locals did to slow the spread of COVID-19 earlier this year. DeSantis, appearing ready to ease state restrictions that place a 50 percent indoor occupancy limit on […]
By The News Service of Florida Potentially millions of ballots could hit the mail starting Thursday for the Nov. 3 general election in Florida. County supervisors of elections are required to send out their first big batches of vote-by-mail ballots between Thursday and Oct. 1. Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer said in a […]
By The New Service of Florida Billionaire Michael Bloomberg, a former New York mayor and onetime Democratic presidential candidate, is the latest celebrity to join in the effort to help Florida felons pay outstanding legal financial obligations so they can register to vote in November. The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition has collected more than $20 […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Brandishing a law-and-order approach to civil unrest, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida’s incoming Republican House and Senate leaders rolled out a legislative package Monday aimed at cracking down on protesters by creating a host of new crimes, as the GOP tries to keep the battleground […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Averting a possible constitutional showdown, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday appointed Jamie Grosshans, a judge on the 5th District Court of Appeal, to serve on the Florida Supreme Court. DeSantis’ appointment, announced at a 5 p.m. news conference, came hours after he defied a noon […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum said in a television interview aired Monday that he is bisexual, as he continues to re-enter the public spotlight after a March incident in which he was found intoxicated in a Miami Beach hotel room. Gillum said on the […]
Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Delivering a victory to Gov. Ron DeSantis, a divided federal appeals court on Friday upheld the constitutionality of a Florida law requiring felons to complete all financial terms of their sentences — including paying fines, fees, costs and restitution — to be eligible to vote. The […]
The News Service of Florida Florida State University is launching a national search to replace President John Thrasher, who advised the school’s Board of Trustees on Friday “the time is right to begin planning for FSU’s future.” In a message also posted on the university’s website, Thrasher, 76, didn’t use the word retirement as he […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Saying the proposal would have driven Floridians “to the hazardous black market,” Gov. Ron DeSantis late Tuesday vetoed a measure that would have banned the sale of nearly all flavored electronic-cigarette products and raised the state’s smoking age from 18 to 21. Attorney General Ashley […]