By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis will choose from among six finalists — including five current or former appellate judges — to replace longtime Justice Charles Canady on the Florida Supreme Court. Canady, a conservative mainstay on the court since 2008, announced last month that he was stepping […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Alligator Alcatraz. Guns. Social media. Legal battles about those and myriad other Florida issues remain unresolved heading into 2026. Here are 10 big legal issues to watch in the coming year: — ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ: The immigrant-detention center in the Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” has spawned […]
By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix Choosing the top political stories in an “off year” when no statewide elections took place is challenging — although jockeying for the 2026 elections is well under way. Property taxes and gun rights, meanwhile, have emerged as issues likely to dominate the 2026 legislative session, which kicks off in a […]
Backed by a three-year $1.55 million federal grant, the University of West Florida Board of Trustees approved the creation of an academy focused on “civic republicanism.” In a press release Friday, the university described the newly created Academy of American Civic Republicanism as “an independent academic center dedicated to exploring civic republicanism — a tradition […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A Leon County circuit judge on Friday refused to block a new law that stops cities and counties from approving “more restrictive or burdensome” changes to growth plans but allowed a legal challenge to the wide-ranging measure to proceed. The prohibition on growth-plan changes was […]
By Mitch Perry, Florida Pheonix Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Blaise Ingoglia previewed legislation Wednesday meant to increase spending accountability and transparency for local government officials, with penalties for noncompliance including fines and removal from office. Ingoglia has been crisscrossing the state for months with his FAFO (Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight) team, auditing spending […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday rejected two challenges to a 2023 law that allows judges to impose death sentences without unanimous jury recommendations. Ruling in cases from Duval and Bay counties, the Supreme Court backed the constitutionality of the law, which the Legislature and Gov. Ron […]
By: Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida A federal judge Tuesday refused to dismiss most of a First Amendment lawsuit filed by a former Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist who was fired because of a social-media post after the murder of conservative leader Charlie Kirk. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker dismissed part […]
By: The News Service of Florida Without an appraised value presented, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet on Wednesday delegated the purchase of a nearly 11,000-acre conservation easement in Southwest Florida to the state Department of Environmental Protection. Department Secretary Alexis Lambert said the agency will not be allowed to pay above the appraised […]
By: Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida The Council on American-Islamic Relations has filed a lawsuit alleging an executive order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis that designated the group as a “terrorist” organization is unconstitutionally “punitive and discriminatory” and exceeded the governor’s authority. The lawsuit accused DeSantis of targeting the country’s leading Muslim-rights organization […]