Gas Prices Hit 2-Year Low

Gas Prices Hit 2-Year Low

By The News Service of Florida An average gallon of gas in Florida reached a nearly two-year low over the weekend, according to the AAA auto club. Florida’s average gallon of gas was at $2.90 on Sunday, which was 2 cents less than a week earlier and the lowest for the state since the pump […]

DHS Sec. Kristi Noem Touts Florida Partnership in Bradenton Appearance

DHS Sec. Kristi Noem Touts Florida Partnership in Bradenton Appearance

By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem came to the Tampa Bay area on Monday, where she praised the partnership between the federal government and Florida law enforcement agencies in cracking down on undocumented immigration. “Florida has been, I think, the state that has provided the most law enforcement agreements under the […]

Florida Tort-Reform Advocates Say Legislative Wins Under Attack

Florida Tort-Reform Advocates Say Legislative Wins Under Attack

By The Center Square Florida tort-reform supporters pressed their message about the economic costs of excessive litigation during Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week while conceding that the passage of additional reforms to route out injustices in the civil justice system was unlikely in 2026. Tom Gaitens, executive director of Florida Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA), said […]

Florida House Offers Menu of Property Tax Cuts

Florida House Offers Menu of Property Tax Cuts

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — The Florida House recently rolled out a series of proposed constitutional amendments to cut property taxes, while looking to shield funding for schools and law enforcement. House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, outlined the menu of proposals, which came as Gov. Ron DeSantis has made a […]

Florida Republican Re-Files Bill Requiring E-Verify for All Employers

Florida Republican Re-Files Bill Requiring E-Verify for All Employers

By Livia Caputo, Florida Phoenix A Florida Republican on Thursday re-filed a bill from last year requiring all private employers to use a federal database verifying whether new hires are legally in the country. Rep. Berny Jacques, a Seminole Republican, issued HB 197 to mandate all private businesses use E-Verify, a federally operated system allowing employers to […]

Corrections Seeks $500+ Million to Maintain Operations

Corrections Seeks $500+ Million to Maintain Operations

By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix Sounding as desperate as he ever has since being appointed four years ago, Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) Secretary Ricky Dixon asked a panel of state lawmakers Wednesday for more than $512 million for next fiscal year to maintain the prison system. “It is a staggering amount of money that […]

Report: Second Quarter Florida GDP Up 3.3%, Personal Income Up 6.7%

Report: Second Quarter Florida GDP Up 3.3%, Personal Income Up 6.7%

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis recently released new quarterly statistics on gross domestic product and personal income for all 50 states and the District of Columbia for the second quarter of 2025 (April, May, and June). The Florida GDP was up 3.3%, ranking 30th while the Florida personal income was up 6.7%, ranking 11th. […]

Boyd Backed to Become Senate President

Boyd Backed to Become Senate President

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Jim Boyd, a veteran lawmaker who heads an insurance and investment firm in Bradenton, was formally selected Tuesday by Senate Republicans to become the next Senate president. Boyd, who is the Senate majority leader, will succeed President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, after the November 2026 elections. […]

Citizens Policy Count Virtually Unchanged

Citizens Policy Count Virtually Unchanged

By The News Service of Florida With Citizens Property Insurance Corp. leaders expecting tens of thousands of policies to move to the private market later this year, the state insurer’s policy count remained almost unchanged last week. Citizens had 769,059 policies as of Friday, compared to 769,017 policies a week earlier and 769,294 policies two […]

Proposed Bill Would Require Constitutional Oath for Teachers

Proposed Bill Would Require Constitutional Oath for Teachers

A bill filed Monday by state Rep. Tom Fabricio would require teachers to take an oath to the Constitution and nonpartisanship. Fabricio, R-Miami Lakes, is an attorney and has been in office since 2020. The bill, HB 147, would require teachers to, “before entering upon the duties of a classroom teacher,” take the oath. The language […]