By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida lawmakers late Friday approved barring students in elementary and middle schools from using cell phones during the school day — and testing the idea in high schools. Current law prevents students from using cell phones during instructional time, but the change would expand that […]
By Jim Turner, Tom Urban and Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — House and Senate leaders said late Friday they had reached agreement on a “framework” for a budget deal that would include $2.8 billion in tax cuts, with lawmakers expected to return to the Capitol during the week of May 12 […]
By Dara Kam and Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — In a stunning move less than a week before the scheduled end of the legislative session, Senate Minority Leader Jason Pizzo announced Thursday that he has left the Democratic Party and registered as a voter with no party affiliation. Pizzo, who was […]
By The News Service of Florida Marva Johnson, a Charter Communications executive and former member of the State Board of Education, is one of four finalists to become president of Florida A&M University, according to an announcement Tuesday. Johnson, who has worked as group vice president for Charter since 2020, served eight years on the […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s jobless rate held steady in March. The Florida Department of Commerce on Friday released a report that said the state had a 3.6 percent unemployment rate in March, the same as in February. Florida had an estimated 403,000 people who qualified as out of […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Seeking to “restore confidence” in its mission, directors of an embattled foundation affiliated with First Lady Casey DeSantis’ signature Hope Florida welfare-assistance program on Thursday agreed to strengthen the nonprofit’s structure amid widening scrutiny by the Florida House. The Hope Florida Foundation Inc. directors finalized […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida argued this week it should be able to move forward with a new law aimed at cracking down on undocumented immigrants who come to the state, after a federal judge temporarily halted the measure. Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office, in a 22-page court document […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Amid ongoing scrutiny of First Lady Casey DeSantis’ signature welfare-assistance program and an affiliated foundation, the executive director of the Hope Florida program is poised to step down from the job. Erik Dellenback, who also serves as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “liaison for faith and community,” […]
By The News Service of Florida Enrollment in Florida’s traditional public schools is expected to decrease in the coming years while voucher programs expand, according to a new report from state economists. The report, compiled by the state Education Estimating Conference, said enrollment in traditional public schools is projected to go from 2,805,298 in the […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Amid an escalating feud between Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled House, the chamber’s budget chairman on Friday sent letters to six state agencies seeking a broad array of documents as part of a probe into government spending. The inquiry into DeSantis-administration spending, ordered by […]