By Ana Ceballos, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis will prioritize a controversial proposal that would require Florida businesses to use a federal system to check the immigration status of new hires, but the leader of the Florida Senate said Tuesday he is “cautious” about passing such a plan. “I expect […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Heeding the pleas of parents whose children were slaughtered in the state’s worst school shooting, the Florida Senate delivered a major victory Wednesday to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis by removing embattled Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel from office. DeSantis, as a candidate for governor last […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — In a battle about a constitutional amendment passed last November, a federal judge said Friday that Florida cannot deny the right to vote to felons who have served their sentences but are “genuinely unable” to pay legal financial obligations. The ruling, however, was only a […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Suspended Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel faced a legislative showdown Monday in the fight to get his job back, amid procedural wrangling that began before senators even began considering his fate. The Senate formally opened a special session Monday morning on Israel’s appeal of his […]
Former U.S. Attorney Pamela Marsh will become president of the First Amendment Foundation on Dec. 1, the open-government advocacy group announced Friday. Marsh, who served as U.S. attorney from 2010 to 2015 in the Northern District of Florida, will replace longtime foundation President Barbara Petersen. Marsh is an attorney at the Tallahassee firm Ausley McMullen. […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Potential environmental impacts from a series of controversial toll-road projects could start to be known shortly after the start of the new year. Will Watts, chief engineer for the Florida Department of Transportation, said Wednesday that preliminary routes for the three projects will be based […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Vowing that the state won’t forget hurricane-damaged Northwest Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday made his first use of a controversial economic-development program by saying money will go to a pair of roads tied to workforce housing in Bay County. Marking the one-year anniversary of […]
By Ana Ceballos, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to raise the minimum salary of Florida teachers to $47,500, a proposal that would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and likely will be a key issue during the upcoming 2020 legislative session. The governor had hinted for months that he […]
By The News Service of Florida Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, D-Miami, wants to prevent future constitutional amendments from including multiple topics. Rodriguez on Monday proposed a measure (SJR 396) that seeks to place a single-subject requirement on any amendment put forward by the state Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, which meets every 20 years to […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Delivering a stunning blow to Gov. Ron DeSantis, a special master has recommended the Florida Senate reinstate suspended Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, after finding the governor failed to prove allegations of neglect of duty and incompetence that sparked the law enforcement official’s suspension. After […]