By Ana Ceballos, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday touted Florida’s higher-education system after it was named best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, citing relatively low amounts of debt when students graduate and a “worthwhile education” they receive. “Our colleges and universities have prioritized affordability […]
By The News Service of Florida Days after Florida lawmakers passed legislation that would require local law-enforcement agencies to fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez offered support for a federal immigration program launched Monday. The Warrant Service Officer program will train and certify sheriff’s deputies to serve federal immigration warrants on […]
Former Gainesville attorney and Andrew Gillum friend Christopher Chestnut will soon be disbarred, according to a Florida Supreme Court ruling issued Friday. Gillum’s ties to Chestnut goes back to his childhood days in Gainesville. More recently, Chestnut was a major donor to Gillum’s gubernatorial campaign and was listed as a business partner on documents filed […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Maybe next year. When lawmakers hit the road Saturday after ending the 2019 legislative session, they left behind hundreds of bills and issues that did not pass. But there’s always the 2020 session, which will start in eight short months. Here are 10 high-profile issues […]
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 […]