By Christine Sexton, The Florida Phoenix A legal challenge to Florida’s restrictions on ballot initiatives kicked off Monday as groups pushing measures on marijuana and Medicaid expansion hope to convince a federal judge that a 2025 state law is unconstitutional. The trial over Florida’s new law — passed last year after initiatives on abortion and […]
By Mitch Perry, The Florida Phoenix Florida Lieutenant Gov. Jay Collins — now a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor — traveled to the Panhandle Monday to promote Gov. Ron DeSantis’ budget request to raise starting pay for correctional officers and staff. “Like many states around the country, Florida has faced serious staffing challenges […]
By The News Service of Florida Nearly 1,400 acres in Hardee County, including land for citrus and crop production, was put under a shield from residential and commercial development through $6.01 million in conservation-easement deals, the state announced Friday. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced that five separate Rural and Family Lands Protection […]
By Mitch Perry, The Florida Phoenix Two Democratic U.S. Reps. from Central Florida — Maxwell Frost and Darren Soto — have written a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons regarding speculation they will soon open an ICE detention center in Orlando. Their message is […]
The state House continues to move a proposal that creates an exemption for some entry level jobs from the state’s voter-approved minimum wage. The GOP-controlled House Careers & Workforce Subcommittee on Wednesday voted 11-5 along party lines to approve a measure (HB 221) that would allow people to waive their rights to the minimum wage […]
Florida lawmakers moved ahead Thursday with a proposal to get cyclists on e-bikes to slow down around pedestrians and make other safety improvements, although many suggested the effort should cover people using electric scooters as well. The Florida Senate Committee on Fiscal Policy voted 15-0 to advance the proposal, amid concerns that the increasingly popular […]
By The News Service of Florida The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated 5,425 initial unemployment applications were filed last week, down from a revised count of 5,744 for the week ending Jan. 24. It marked the third consecutive week with a decline in Florida’s numbers, after a spike to 7,146 the week ending […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida Legislation seeking to create a regulatory framework that would address key issues such as electricity and water use from massive data centers continues to move in the Florida Senate, while the House has yet to take similar action. The Senate Community Affairs Committee backed a measure Tuesday […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida Senate Appropriations Chairman Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Trinity, said Wednesday his chamber’s planned roll out of the proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 budget has been delayed a week as they await action from the House. “Traditionally, the House and Senate roll their budgets out the same week,” Hooper told […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida An effort to expand the armed “school guardian” program to colleges and universities, following a deadly on-campus shooting near the Capitol last year, took another step forward in the House Tuesday. Calling for select post-secondary employees to be trained and armed, the Education & Employment Committee unanimously […]