After it appeared the House and Senate had agreed on spending $500 million to increase teacher salaries, the Senate on Sunday proposed upping the amount to $600 million. The proposal came a day after the House indicated it would go along with an initial Senate plan to spend $500 million. Increasing teacher pay is a […]
By Ana Ceballos, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A last-minute deal on E-Verify emerged in the Senate on Friday, moving the Republican-dominated Legislature closer to giving Gov. Ron DeSantis a win on a key campaign promise. After weeks of negotiating with the governor’s office and reviewing a House proposal, Senate bill sponsor Tom […]
By Ana Ceballos, The News Service of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is backing the Senate in a heated fight over E-Verify, a move that could tip the scale in a contentious immigration battle as the 2020 legislative session draws to a close. Senate President Bill Galvano said his chamber is ready to consider legislation that […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida Siding with plaintiffs, a federal appeals court has refused to put on hold a decision that bans the state from denying the right to vote to felons who are unable to pay court-ordered fees and fines. Monday’s ruling by a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit […]
By Christine Sexton, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — State Surgeon General Scott Rivkees said Friday that 15 people in Florida have tested negative for coronavirus. The state is monitoring another 150 people for the deadly virus, a significant drop from the 700 people who were at one time under investigation, Gov. Ron DeSantis, […]
By Ana Ceballos, The News Service of Florida A Florida House investigation into a domestic-violence nonprofit organization continued to leave lawmakers stunned, as more details about the former CEO’s compensation emerged Thursday. The revelations came as the House Public Integrity & Ethics Committee continued its quest to discern how Tiffany Carr, the former chief executive […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida cities and counties would get letter grades for economic and non-economic factors, under a bill that drew mostly bipartisan support Tuesday from the House Appropriations Committee. Another measure approved by the committee would ask voters in November to approve a proposed constitutional amendment that […]
By Ana Ceballos, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A six-hour grilling by a key House committee Monday revealed that several board members of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence were unaware that the former CEO of the non-profit agency received $7 million in compensation over three years. Tiffany Carr, the coalition’s long-serving executive […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — The Florida House on Thursday approved a proposed constitutional amendment that could lead to term limits for county school board members across the state. If the Senate goes along with the proposal, voters in November would decide whether to impose the eight-year term limits — […]
By Christine Sexton, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Minors who seek abortions would be required to obtain parental consent or convince judges to waive the requirement under a bill that received final legislative approval Thursday and has the support of Gov. Ron DeSantis. Thursday’s 75-43 vote in the House was a victory for DeSantis, […]