By The News Service of Florida Average gasoline prices in Florida were up 5 cents over the past week, with the lowest prices continuing in the Panhandle and the highest prices in parts of South Florida, according to the AAA auto club. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in an online […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A federal judge on Tuesday blocked Florida education officials from enforcing a law requiring a transgender teacher to use pronouns that align with her sex assigned at birth, saying the law violated her First Amendment rights. The 2023 law restricts educators’ use of personal pronouns […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — With the state Supreme Court this week signing off on ballot initiatives about abortion rights and recreational use of marijuana, Floridians in November will vote on six proposed constitutional amendments. Passage of each proposal would require support from at least 60 percent of voters. Here […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Supreme Court on Monday rejected decades of legal precedents and upheld a law that will lead to preventing abortions after six weeks of pregnancy — but also cleared the way for voters to decide in November whether they want to enshrine abortion rights […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District have reached a legal settlement that includes nullifying controversial development agreements that the entertainment giant entered with the former Reedy Creek Improvement District. The settlement was announced Wednesday and approved by the Central […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida Florida’s unemployment rate held at 3.1 percent in February for the third consecutive month, even as job losses were posted in many industry sectors. The unemployment rate held as a growing labor force continues to counter the number of people who are out of work. The Florida […]
By The News Service of Florida Members of the State Board of Education are considering ways to put more pressure on local teachers’ unions, amid delays in planned salary increases for teachers in some districts. The board Wednesday discussed efforts to distribute money approved last year by the Legislature. The money is part of a […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A persistently contentious debate about regulating vacation rentals has escalated into a clash between two powerful industry groups after the Florida Legislature passed a measure that would significantly restrict how local governments can oversee the properties. The bill, finalized in the waning days of the […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — With the state preparing for a legal challenge from the tech industry, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a high-profile bill aimed at keeping children off social-media platforms. “You better believe, I am going to fight like hell to uphold this in court,” Attorney General […]
High-profile bills aimed at keeping children off social media and loosening decades-old work restrictions for 16- and 17-year-old youths were among 15 bills that the Legislature formally sent Thursday to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The social-media bill (HB 3) was a priority of House Speaker Paul Renner, a Palm Coast Republican who contends online platforms harm […]