By Jim Turner, The Florida News Service With economic uncertainty “elevated,” state economists Friday increased general-revenue tax projections that lawmakers will use in crafting a state budget for the upcoming year. A panel of economists known as the Revenue Estimating Conference added a combined $572.5 million to projections made in August for the current 2025-2026 […]
By Jay Waagmeester, The Florida Phoenix The state’s newly expanded charter school co-location program could be limited after the Florida Department of Education received “a lot of feedback,” an administrator said. The department hosted a rule development meeting Monday, soliciting feedback for Schools of Hope rules, the program that lawmakers vastly expanded in the waning […]
By Mitch Perry, The Florida Phoenix Jacksonville state Rep. Angie Nixon announced Thursday that she is running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate this year. The seat is now held by Republican Ashley Moody, appointed a year ago by Gov. Ron DeSantis. A Florida Democrat hasn’t served in the U.S. Senate since Bill Nelson lost his […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida Dealing a blow to supporters of a proposed recreational-marijuana constitutional amendment, an appeals court has rejected a challenge to directives by Secretary of State Cord Byrd to invalidate more than 70,000 petition signatures. A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal on Friday issued a […]
With 2026 poised to be a vital election year for Florida and the nation alike, the latest Florida Chamber poll finds Floridians maintaining a more positive outlook on Florida’s direction than the overall national direction. The latest Florida Chamber statewide poll, conducted over the first ten days of 2026, finds Floridians continue to have confidence […]
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 […]