Florida Phoenix, a non-profit statewide media blog, reported on Monday that Florida governor candidate Andrew Gillum called the efforts of the Florida Legislature to implement Amendment 4 a “poll tax.” Amendment 4 was a ballot initiative which passed with 64% of the vote in 2018 and restored the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida lawmakers finished the 2019 legislative session Saturday by passing a budget for the upcoming year. During the two-month session, lawmakers considered hundreds of bills and made more than $90 billion in spending decisions. It also was the first session for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis […]
The News Service of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis did not get as much money as he wanted for teacher bonuses in the new state budget, but he told reporters Wednesday it will be an issue that he would like to tackle during the 2020 legislative session. “I think the formula is a little bit different […]
By Ana Ceballos, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Republican lawmakers on Wednesday gave final passage to a wide-ranging school safety bill that would allow classroom teachers to be armed, reversing a decision made last year after the mass school shooting in Parkland. Despite backlash from Democrats, the Republican-dominated House passed legislation (SB 7030) […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Two decades after then-Gov. Jeb Bush started a broad push for school choice, the Florida House on Tuesday approved a closely watched expansion that will provide vouchers to thousands of children to attend private schools. As a sign of the significance of the bill (SB […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Law enforcement officers could pull over motorists they see texting and driving on Florida roads, under a bill now headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis. With a vote of 108-7, the House on Monday passed a compromise measure (HB 107) that blends a ban on texting […]
As first reported by FloridaPolitics.com, a new survey from St. Pete Polls finds Floridians support the Legislature’s proposals to ban sanctuary cities and wants the body to keep the current 60 percent threshold for amendments to the Florida Constitution. The poll of 2,227 registered voters found that 31 percent said they thought the Legislature was […]
By Ana Ceballos, The News Service of FloridaTALLAHASSEE — The Senate on Friday passed legislation outlawing so-called sanctuary city policies in Florida, reversing course on a politically charged issue that it has blocked for the past three years. In a nod to one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ top legislative priorities, a sharply divided Senate voted […]
By Ana Ceballos, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — After a long and fiery debate about how the state should deal with illegal immigration, the Florida House on Wednesday passed legislation that seeks to crack down on local governments that do not fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The measure, if passed by the […]
The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Buckle up. The 2019 legislative session is about ready to pick up speed. When lawmakers come back from the holiday weekend, they will be poised to start budget negotiations and to try to resolve a laundry list of major — and controversial — issues. That means a sprint […]