By Jim Turner & Tom Urban, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — One of the more-contentious legislative sessions in recent history came to a close late Monday as lawmakers approved a $115.1 billion budget for next fiscal year and prepared to send it to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Senate unanimously passed the spending plan […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida would hold a sales-tax “holiday” each August for back-to-school items, while sales taxes would be eliminated on commercial leases and such things as hurricane supplies and sunscreen, under a tax package that House and Senate leaders released Friday evening. The House and Senate will […]
By The News Service of Florida Legislative leaders said Thursday evening they hope to finish a budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year on Friday so it can go before the House and Senate early next week. Senate Appropriations Chairman Ed Hooper, R-Trinity, said he and House Budget Chairman Lawrence McClure, R-Dover, have committed to having […]
By Jim Turner & Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — House and Senate budget negotiators agreed to pay raises for state employees, with bigger boosts going to law enforcement officers and firefighters, as talks continued Tuesday on a state spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ed Hooper, […]
By The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — House and Senate budget leaders Monday rushed to finalize a new state spending plan, while Gov. Ron DeSantis continued calling for giving property-tax rebates. Senate Appropriations Chairman Ed Hooper, R-Trinity, and House Budget Chairman Lawrence McClure, R-Dover, swapped budget offers during an afternoon meeting and were scheduled […]
By The News Service of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday announced the state has awarded an additional $3.5 million to help Point Blank Enterprises expand in Wakulla County. The Pompano Beach-based manufacturer of law-enforcement and military body armor plans to build a 118,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that will employ about 300 people in Crawfordville. The […]
By The News Service of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez after he was charged with racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering in a probe of illegal gambling operations. The Office of Statewide Prosecution charged Lopez, with Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office alleging in a news release that Lopez […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Former Republican Congressman David Jolly on Thursday became the first prominent Democrat to enter the 2026 gubernatorial race, saying he can attract middle-ground voters who want leaders to address issues such as rising housing and property-insurance costs. Jolly, 52, represented a Pinellas County district in […]
By The News Service of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet on Tuesday are expected to consider two proposed deals that could help conserve about 76,000 acres of land in North Florida. Under the deals, the state would spend nearly $118 million to purchase conservation easements on the land in Baker, Bradford and […]
By Dara Kam, The New Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — After a coordinated campaign by conservatives attacking his “evolution” on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, a divided state university system Board of Governors on Tuesday blocked Santa Ono from becoming the University of Florida’s next president. Tuesday’s 10-6 vote was a major rebuke to the […]