By Ryan Dailey, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — As Gov. Ron DeSantis targets “trendy ideology” in higher education, his administration is asking state colleges and universities for information about resources they are putting into activities related to diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory. DeSantis has made the fight against critical race […]
By Jim Turner & Ryan Dailey, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis was sworn in Tuesday for a second term, offering a theme of “freedom” in Florida to counter “faddish ideology” nationally. Speaking on the steps of the Old Capitol, the state’s 46th governor balanced some campaign-style rhetoric and generic policy […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Tallahassee TALLAHASSEE — From abortion to Big Tech to guns, Florida heads into 2023 with courts weighing high-profile legal fights. Here are 10 issues to watch: — ABORTION: The Florida Supreme Court is considering a challenge to a new law that prevents abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Beefed up lobbying restrictions and breaks for motorists who frequently use toll roads are among state laws and other changes that will arrive with the new year. The laws, passed during this year’s regular legislative session and special sessions, also include making available land-preservation money, […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A federal judge will hear arguments Jan. 27 in an attempt by a group of local elected officials to block new lobbying restrictions that they argue violate First Amendment rights. The officials from Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Leon counties filed a lawsuit last week in […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — After a five-year legal battle, a sharply divided federal appeals court Friday upheld a St. Johns County School Board policy that prevented a transgender male student from using boys’ bathrooms at a high school. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 7-4 decision, […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Tallahassee TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis has signaled that he will make a priority of passing a long-debated proposal that would prevent teachers from having union dues deducted from their paychecks. DeSantis supported the proposal Monday during a speech in Orlando, describing it as “paycheck protection legislation.” The […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — State health regulators on Monday set in motion a process to issue up to 22 more medical-marijuana licenses, in a highly anticipated move that could double the size of Florida’s medical-cannabis industry. The state Department of Health also published an emergency rule that would make […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida lawmakers this week held a special session and passed a 105-page bill aimed at stabilizing the state’s troubled property-insurance system. The bill (SB 2-A) deals with numerous issues, including lawsuits, the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and critical reinsurance coverage. Here are 10 key […]
Unemployment claims in Florida dipped slightly last week, while the number of first-time claims nationally fell to the lowest mark since September. The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday released a report that estimated 5,685 new claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended Dec. 10, down from a revised count of 6,393 […]