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 […]
By Ryan Dailey, The News Service of Tallahassee TALLAHASSEE — The State Board of Education is slated this week to scrutinize LGBTQ support guides and bathroom policies for transgender students in 10 school districts, as state officials question whether they are violating a law known as the “Parents’ Bill of Rights” and other measures. The […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — The legal battle over a Florida law that restricts classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation is pitting red states against blue states. Republican attorneys general of 14 states last week sought approval to file a brief supporting Florida in a fight about the […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — With a special legislative session poised to start, the Florida House and Senate late Friday released proposals that would make far-reaching changes in the state’s troubled property-insurance system. The bills (HB 1A and SB 2A) would take steps to reduce litigation costs, move policies out […]
By Ryan Dailey, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — State Rep. Joe Harding resigned his House seat Thursday after being charged with fraudulently obtaining coronavirus-related business loans. Harding, R-Ocala, submitted his resignation a day after the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida announced a grand-jury indictment on charges of wire fraud, […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — With Florida’s property-insurance system in turmoil, state lawmakers could be poised to take major steps to try to stabilize the market during a special legislative session next week. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, and House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, released a formal session proclamation […]