By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — T.K. Wetherell, a former state House speaker who went on to become president of his alma mater, Florida State University, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer, the university announced. He was 72. Wetherell, a Daytona Beach native, served in the House from 1980 […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis, furthering his links to state House leaders, has tapped a lawmaker he called a “champion for deregulation” to oversee the agency that handles licenses and regulations for a wide range of fields, including the gambling industry. Rep. Halsey Beshears, a Monticello Republican […]
By Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Signaling that he will be open to the expansion of non-traditional school programs, Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis on Thursday said he wants former House Speaker Richard Corcoran to be the state’s next education commissioner. DeSantis, the newly elected Republican governor, said he will ask the state […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Tallahassee TALLAHASSEE — A follow-up report on the handling of the state’s concealed-carry permitting process pointed to a lack of management oversight by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, but the agency claims it is addressing the issues. The examination of the department’s handling of the permitting […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Offering extensive details of what she described as a “catastrophe,” an administrative law judge has backed a state decision to revoke the license of a Broward County nursing home where residents died after Hurricane Irma. Judge Mary Li Creasy, in a 94-page recommended order issued […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Citing widespread problems during the 2018 elections, Gov. Rick Scott on Friday suspended Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes and replaced her with one of his closest allies, Pete Antonacci. “Due to her demonstrated misfeasance, incompetence, and neglect of duty, Supervisor Snipes can no […]
The News Service of Florida The state’s concealed-weapons licensing program would be moved to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, under a measure proposed Thursday by Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation. The proposal came as National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer is urging that the Republican-dominated Legislature move the program from the Department of Agriculture and […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — More than 18 months after legislators passed a controversial education law pushed by then-House Speaker Richard Corcoran, attorneys for the state and 11 county school boards are continuing to battle in court about whether the measure violates the Florida Constitution. Attorneys for the state this […]
Buoyed by tourists from other parts of the United States, Florida drew an estimated 30.7 million visitors during the third quarter of 2018, according to numbers released Monday by the tourism-marketing agency Visit Florida and Gov. Rick Scott’s office. That was a 10.1 percent increase over the same period in 2017 and kept Florida on […]
By Christine Sexton, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Have no doubt: new House Speaker Jose Oliva wants to expand access to health care by expanding the scope of practice for Florida nurses. He also wants less government regulation in Florida’s health-care delivery system and more free-market principles. Oliva, though, denies that reconfiguring the […]