By The Florida News Service First-time jobless claims in Florida decreased last week as the state prepares to release a December unemployment rate on Friday. The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated 6,331 initial unemployment applications were filed last week in the state, down from a revised count of 7,146 during the week that […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida As the Florida Senate continues to ponder an approach to lowering property taxes, House committees on Thursday advanced two tax-cut proposals that could go before voters. The Republican-dominated House Ways & Means Committee voted mostly along party lines to approve a proposed constitutional amendment (HJR 203) that, […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida Amid opposition from a tech-industry group and a push by President Donald Trump for nationwide regulations, a proposed state “Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights” started moving forward Wednesday in the Florida Senate. With the issue a priority of Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee […]
By The News Service of Florida The Florida Citrus Commission could see a $1 million increase in revenue after a new forecast of this season’s citrus crop. The commission, which oversees the Florida Department of Citrus, increased revenue estimates Wednesday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its first forecast for the growing season, which […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida Proposals that would allow single-family homes on some property zoned for agriculture and make it more difficult for local governments to increase impact fees started to move forward Tuesday in the Florida Senate. The Senate Committee Affairs Committee approved two bills by Chairman Stan McClain, R-Ocala, that […]
By The News Service of Florida Florida motorists Tuesday paid an average of $2.75 for a gallon of regular unleaded gas, down 3 cents from a week earlier, according to the AAA auto club. The state average was down 15 cents from a month earlier and 43 cents from this time last year. The national […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida Saying Attorney General James Uthmeier and other opponents are seeking to “deprive Florida voters of the chance to decide the issue for themselves,” supporters of a recreational-marijuana constitutional amendment urged the Florida Supreme Court to clear the way for the proposal to go on the November ballot. […]
By Mitch Perry, The Florida Phoenix David Jolly leads Jerry Demings in one of the first major polls of the Democratic primary for governor of Florida in 2026, but the majority of 400 registered Democratic voters surveyed are undecided. The Mason-Dixon poll shows Jolly, a former Republican member of Congress, leading Demings, mayor of Orange […]
By The News Service of Florida The Florida House on Thursday passed a bill that would require all private employers to use the federal E-Verify system to check the immigration status of new workers. The bill (HB 197), sponsored by Rep. Berny Jacques, R-Seminole, and Rep. Kiyan Michael, R-Jacksonville, would expand a current law that […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida A House proposal that would ask voters to phase out non-school homestead property taxes moved forward Thursday, as lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis try to reach agreement on a November ballot measure. The Republican-controlled House State Affairs Committee voted along party lines to back a proposed constitutional […]