By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — U.S. visitors continued to drive Florida’s tourism industry at a record pace, while international travel still struggled to reach pre-pandemic levels, according to newly released figures for the third quarter of 2022. The tourism-marketing agency Visit Florida estimated Tuesday the state attracted 35.115 million travelers […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A Leon County circuit judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed by a South Florida senator challenging the use of state funds to transport migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, but advised how to revamp the legal complaint so the case can move […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Republicans nationally went into Tuesday’s elections hoping for a red wave. It didn’t happen. But in Florida, Republicans didn’t simply deliver a red wave. They obliterated Democrats up and down the ballot, putting to rest any notion that Florida is a purple state. It wasn’t […]
By Jim Saunders and Tristan Wood, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Republicans have controlled the Florida Senate since the 1990s and are looking to expand their majority in the Nov. 8 elections. Democrats, meanwhile, hope to pick up a couple of seats and chip away at the GOP’s control. Here are five state […]
Provided below is a brief description of the three statewide amendments that are up for consideration in 2022. The passage of Amendment 1 – Limitation on Assessment of Real Property used for Residential Purposes – will provide “property tax savings on flood protection improvements,” so you won’t have to pay more for the increased value […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE— A U.S. district judge has tossed out a lawsuit filed by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and other plaintiffs challenging federal prohibitions on medical-marijuana patients buying and possessing guns. Judge Allen Winsor on Friday issued a 22-page ruling that granted a request by the U.S. Department […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — With a nearly three-decade career in law enforcement, U.S. Rep. Val Demings not that long ago was viewed as the ideal Democratic candidate to topple U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio this year. An upset win by Demings, a former Orlando police chief who was first elected […]
By The News Service of Florida Nearly 23 percent of Florida’s 14.5 million registered voters had cast ballots as of Wednesday morning in next week’s general election. Data posted on the state Division of Elections website showed that 3,304,040 voters had cast mail-in ballots or gone to early voting sites. In all, 1,426,017 Republicans and […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A key medical panel on Friday signed off on a draft rule — pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration — that would restrict Florida doctors from providing treatments to transgender people under age 18, setting up a final decision next week that likely will lead […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Tallahassee TALLAHASSEE — Less than two weeks before Election Day, a divided appeals court has rejected an Orange County ballot measure aimed at imposing rent controls. A panel of the 5th District Court of Appeal, in a 2-1 decision Thursday, sided with the industry group Florida Realtors and […]