By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A Leon County circuit judge on Friday refused to block a new law that stops cities and counties from approving “more restrictive or burdensome” changes to growth plans but allowed a legal challenge to the wide-ranging measure to proceed. The prohibition on growth-plan changes was […]
By Mitch Perry, Florida Pheonix Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Blaise Ingoglia previewed legislation Wednesday meant to increase spending accountability and transparency for local government officials, with penalties for noncompliance including fines and removal from office. Ingoglia has been crisscrossing the state for months with his FAFO (Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight) team, auditing spending […]
By: Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida A federal judge Tuesday refused to dismiss most of a First Amendment lawsuit filed by a former Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist who was fired because of a social-media post after the murder of conservative leader Charlie Kirk. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker dismissed part […]
By: The News Service of Florida Without an appraised value presented, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet on Wednesday delegated the purchase of a nearly 11,000-acre conservation easement in Southwest Florida to the state Department of Environmental Protection. Department Secretary Alexis Lambert said the agency will not be allowed to pay above the appraised […]
By The News Service of Florida A proposal that would require all Florida private employers to use the federal E-Verify system to check the immigration status of new workers is ready to go to the full House after the 2026 legislative session starts. The Republican-controlled House Commerce Committee on Thursday voted 16-5 along party lines […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — In his final budget proposal, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday rolled out a $117.36 billion plan for the 2026-2027 fiscal year that includes increased money for teachers and law-enforcement officers. DeSantis, who can’t run for another term next year, said the proposal “builds off the […]
After the proposal died in the House during the 2025 session, Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, said Monday the Senate will take up his “rural renaissance” plan during the first week of the 2026 legislative session. Albritton, who has made the issue a priority of his time as Senate president, told reporters he is “hopeful” […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — The growth-management group 1000 Friends of Florida and an Orange County resident Tuesday filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a new state law that blocks cities and counties from approving “more restrictive or burdensome” changes to growth plans. The lawsuit, filed in Leon County […]
Leon County prosecutors have convened a grand jury to explore possible wrongdoing associated with Hope Florida, according to a report Friday by the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee bureau. State Attorney Jack Campbell’s office over the past few weeks issued subpoenas for witnesses to appear before the grand jury during the week of Oct. 13, […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Pointing to laws allowing use of medical marijuana and hemp, a state appeals court Wednesday reversed course and said police officers can’t search vehicles only on the basis of smelling cannabis. The 2nd District Court of Appeal’s main opinion said that for “generations, cannabis was […]