Beach Access Fight Goes to Appeals Court

Beach Access Fight Goes to Appeals Court

By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Waterfront property owners have gone to a federal appeals court after a judge last month sided with the Pinellas County town of Redington Beach in a dispute about public beach access. A notice of appeal, filed Tuesday, does not detail arguments that the group of […]

School Books Settlement Reached

School Books Settlement Reached

By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Authors of the children’s book “And Tango Makes Three” and parents of students have reached a settlement with the Nassau County school district that will lead to 36 books returning to school libraries after being removed last year, according to court documents filed this week. […]

Appeals Court Wades into FSU-ACC Fight

Appeals Court Wades into FSU-ACC Fight

By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A Florida appellate-court panel heard arguments Wednesday in a two-state legal battle between Florida State University and the Atlantic Coast Conference over issues such as sports media rights Attorneys for the ACC went to the Tallahassee-based 1st District Court of Appeal in June seeking to […]

GOP Voter Edge at 1.026M

GOP Voter Edge at 1.026M

The Republican Party of Florida held a registration advantage of 1.026 million voters over the Florida Democratic Party as of Aug. 31, according to data posted Tuesday on the state Division of Elections website. The data showed the Republican Party with 5,385,554 “active” registered voters, while the Democratic Party had 4,359,354. Another 3,544,576 voters were […]

State Looks at More Nuclear Power

State Looks at More Nuclear Power

By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Tallahassee TALLAHASSEE — It would take years, possibly decades. But Florida is looking at the possibility of adding nuclear power. After state lawmakers this year required a study on the feasibility of expanding the use of nuclear energy, Florida Public Service Commission staff members Thursday met with experts […]

State Could Face Tighter Budget After Pandemic Aid

State Could Face Tighter Budget After Pandemic Aid

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Legislative budget leaders said they expect lawmakers to remain “fiscally responsible” after being advised Friday the state faces potential deficits in coming years as federal coronavirus pandemic money dries up. After receiving a presentation about Florida’s long-term-financial outlook, House Appropriations Chairman Tom Leek, R-Ormond Beach, […]

Abortions Down Nearly 13 Percent

Abortions Down Nearly 13 Percent

By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — The number of abortions reported in Florida during the first eight months of this year was nearly 13 percent lower than during the same period in 2022 and 2023, as a law preventing abortions after six weeks of pregnancy has led to fewer procedures. Newly […]

July Revenue Tops Projection

July Revenue Tops Projection

By The News Service of Florida Florida totaled nearly $3.43 billion in net general revenue in January, $40.1 million more than had been projected in a January forecast. The Legislature’s Office of Economic & Demographic Research on Wednesday released a report that showed sales taxes, which make up the largest part of general revenue, totaled […]

Court Rejects Pregame Prayer Lawsuit

Court Rejects Pregame Prayer Lawsuit

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida A federal appeals court Tuesday said the Florida High School Athletic Association did not violate First Amendment rights when it blocked a Tampa Christian school from offering a prayer over a stadium loudspeaker before a 2015 high-school football championship game. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. […]

Pot Amendment Draws $11 Million

Pot Amendment Draws $11 Million

A political committee leading efforts to pass a constitutional amendment to allow recreational use of marijuana raised $11 million from Aug. 16 through Aug. 23, with $10 million coming from the Trulieve cannabis company, according to a new finance report. The Smart & Safe Florida political committee had raised a total of $82.62 million in […]