By Christine Sexton, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — In a contentious meeting where proponents and opponents talked about God, homosexuality and government intrusion, a Florida Senate panel Tuesday approved a bill that would require minors to obtain permission from their parents before having abortions. The 6-3 vote by the Senate Health Policy Committee […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A federal judge on Tuesday excoriated lawyers representing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, accusing the state of trying to “run out the clock” to keep felons from voting in next year’s elections. The acrimony between U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle and the state’s attorneys came during […]
By The News Service of Florida Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is backing a measure that would require her agency to retain fingerprints of applicants seeking concealed-weapon licenses. Having a log of the fingerprints would allow her agency’s Concealed Weapon Licensing Program to “immediately access criminal history information on applicants who have committed crimes in […]
Speaking to a group of supporters at The Villages, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday once again vowed to require Florida businesses to use a federal system to check the immigration status of new hires. Flanked by Sen. Joe Gruters and Rep. Cord Byrd, two key Republican lawmakers who helped the governor deliver a ban on […]
By The News Service of Florida Florida tourism grew a little more than 1 percent in the third quarter compared to the same period a year ago, with overseas tourist numbers continuing to lag, according to estimates released Wednesday by Visit Florida. The state’s tourism-marketing arm reported 31.6 million people visited the Sunshine State between […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service Florida TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday proposed a $91.4 billion state budget for next year, touting plans to funnel more money to public-school teachers and continue “momentum” on environmental issues. The proposal is an initial step as lawmakers prepare for the January start of the annual legislative […]
By Ana Ceballos, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis wants the Florida Legislature to abandon the embattled “Best and Brightest” bonus program and replace it with a new plan to offer bonuses to public-school teachers and principals. The governor said Thursday his proposed bonus program aims to provide incentives to teachers […]
The News Service of Florida After scoring a victory Tuesday when the NCAA governing board moved toward letting college athletes make endorsement money, Florida lawmakers are looking to add “safeguards” to legislative proposals filed for the 2020 session. Before the NCAA’s announcement, four Florida lawmakers had filed bills aimed at allowing college athletes to cash […]
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 […]