By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida motorists could see a slight decrease in gasoline costs in the coming year despite fuel markets facing continued geopolitical tensions, potential tariffs and changes in U.S. energy policies, according to a report issued Monday. In an annual outlook, Boston-based GasBuddy forecast that the price […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Numerous big Florida legal issues are pending in state and federal courts as 2024 ends. Here are 10 legal issues to watch in 2025: — BOOK BATTLES: Publishers, authors and parents have filed federal lawsuits stemming from a 2023 state education law and school-district decisions […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A smattering of new state laws will arrive with the new year, but the highest-profile change — restricting access to social media for children — will not be immediately enforced. Ten laws passed during the 2024 legislative session will take effect Wednesday. They were among […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — State Rep. Hillary Casel on Friday became the second House Democrat to switch her party affiliation since the November elections, further adding to Republicans’ supermajority. Cassel, a Dania Beach attorney, said in a post on X that she supports House Republicans’ “vision for a better, […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — The U.S. House Committee on Ethics released a report Monday alleging that former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz “regularly” paid women for sex, used illegal drugs and violated state laws. The committee released the 37-page report more than a month after Gaetz, a Republican, resigned from […]
By The News Service of Florida A federal judge has dismissed a Broward County teen’s challenge to the constitutionality of a 2021 Florida law that bars transgender female students from playing on women’s and girls’ sports teams. U.S. District Judge Roy Altman on Thursday issued a 32-page decision rejecting arguments that the law violated the […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Growing faster than almost any other state, Florida’s estimated population topped 23.3 million people this year, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The Census Bureau estimated that Florida had 23,372,215 people as of July 1, up from 22,904,868 a year earlier. […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., has indicted former Florida Congressman David Rivera on charges of failing to register to lobby for a sanctioned Venezuelan businessman and laundering money to conceal the work, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday. The indictment, issued Tuesday, […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Homeowners’ insurance policies appear poised to continue flowing out of the state’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. in 2025. The latest indication came Monday, when Florida Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky signed orders approving proposals by three private insurers to assume up to 160,440 policies from Citizens […]
By Jim Turner and Tom Urban, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Senate President Ben Albritton on Monday suggested phasing out a decade-old law that allows some undocumented immigrant students, known as “dreamers,” to receive in-state tuition rates at Florida universities and colleges. Albritton addressed the issue during a media availability, after Sen. Randy […]