Tag Archives: Florida

Florida Politics reports: The Senate has passed a House bill creating a new financial obligation on localities by banning homeless people from sleeping in public, setting the stage for a Gov. Ron DeSantis priority becoming law. The measure from Rep. Sam Garrison (HB 1365), passed by a 27-12 vote after being substituted for the Senate version, would ban counties and …

Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis is still fielding questions about whether he wants to jump back in the presidential race even as Donald Trump is close to locking up the Republican nomination. “Been there. Done that. Got the T-shirt,” DeSantis said in response to a friendly question from commentator Chris Nelson in Miami Beach. Looking back on a campaign …

Florida Politics reports: The facilities run by The GEO Group — Blackwater River Correctional, Moore Haven Correctional and South Bay Correctional — will receive $1.6 million the Legislature for the sole purpose of raising correctional officer salaries “commensurate with salary increases for state correctional officers.” The chambers also both directed individual supplements for contract extensions at three prisons, two of …

The Washington Post reports: A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a ruling that blocked Florida from enforcing a law, backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, that restricts how private companies teach diversity and inclusion in the workplace. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled Monday that the “Stop Woke Act” “exceeds the bounds” …

Florida Politics reports: The Senate has passed a replacement bill regulating social media use by minors. After a 30-5 vote, the measure now heads back to the House. Days after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed legislation barring anyone under age 16 from most social media platforms, lawmakers brought new language to the floor giving more say to parents. Sen. Erin Grall, …

Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Office is announcing the graduation of new Florida State Guard members. The first 205 graduates of the February Initial Entry Training (IET)’s three-week program passed the test. “The Florida State Guard serves an important role in emergency response for the state. I am pleased to see this important volunteer force continue to grow to …

Florida Politics reports: Language for a new social media bill with provisions for parental consent has been filed in the Senate. The move came after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed an all-out ban on those under 16 using most social media platforms. Sen. Erin Grall, a Fort Pierce Republican, filed an amendment with new language negotiated with the House, Senate and …

The Washington Post reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) vetoed what would have been one of the nation’s most restrictive bans against children using social media on Friday, drawing a line in the debate over kids’ online safety over concerns the bill did not allow parents to supervise teens’ activity. But unlike laws in Utah and Arkansas blocking kids under …

Gainesville’s ABC affiliate reports: The University of Florida is firing all employees in positions related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) according to a memo sent on Friday. It follows the passage of a state law in 2023 targeting college funds spent on DEI. UF officials say they have closed the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, eliminated DEI positions …

Florida Politics reports: It could be significantly harder for unhoused people to sleep in public spaces soon, as the House has passed legislation cracking down on the practice and compelling counties to set up homeless camps. The Republican Rep. Sam Garrison bill has been called a “carrot and stick” approach to managing the homeless problem in the state. “The status …

Forbes reports: Former President Donald Trump arrived at a Florida courthouse Friday morning for a hearing in his federal criminal case over retaining White House documents. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon—the Trump-appointed judge overseeing the case—scheduled the day-long conference to consider various motions in the case, most notably when the case could go to trial. The trial is currently set …

Florida Politics reports: Senators voted to make Florida the first state to ban the sale of lab-grown meat. But a majority rejected a proposal to put a five-year sunset on that restriction. As lawmakers debated an agriculture package (SB 1084) on the floor, Republican Sen. Jay Collins said he doesn’t think cultured meat products will be ready for consumption anytime …

Florida Politics reports: The House gave a second reading to a bill (HB 1223) that would reverse gun control rules enacted after the Parkland shooting by lowering the minimum age to buy a gun from 21 to 18. Aponsor Rep. Bobby Payne, a Palatka Republican, argued that banning 18-year-olds from buying shotguns and rifles was unconstitutional since those teenagers can …

The right wing Florida’s Voice reports: The Florida Department of Health scathed media outlets for false reporting and “politicizing” on new measles cases in multiple schools across the state. There have reportedly been at least 10 cases, and some have slammed the department and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo for urging parental discretion on determining whether to keep their child home …

Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis is telling the nation that people in his state shouldn’t rely on the state-run insurer of last resort, raising new questions about Citizens Property Insurance ahead of what is expected to be a robust hurricane season. “It is not solvent and we can’t have millions of people on that because if a storm hits, …

Miami’s NBC affiliate reports: Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz held a press conference on school safety measures Tuesday and called for the replacement of Florida’s surgeon general — as the measles outbreak in South Florida continues to expand. She called for the termination of Dr. Joseph Ladapo and for Governor DeSantis to replace him with a public health expert, following the …

Florida Politics reports: An effort to cap THC levels in marijuana if Florida voters legal it for adult personal use is dead this Legislative Session. The Senate Health Policy Committee bill (SB 7050) emerged earlier this month in the upper chamber. The effort had moved out of its first stop on a 7-3 vote. Just as that committee declined to …

NBC News reports: Authorities in Palm Beach County, Florida, responded to Donald Trump Jr.’s home Monday after he was sent an envelope containing a death threat and white powder. The response by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue was first reported by The Daily Beast. A spokesperson for the former president’s son confirmed the incident to NBC News. The spokesperson said …

Florida Politics reports: The Senate will not consider a controversial defamation bill. For the second year in a row, the bill effectively hit a wall in the upper chamber despite signs of life in the House. With fewer than two weeks left in the Legislative Session, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s Office signaled there is no appetite for the bill. “No. …

The New York Times reports: The Supreme Court seemed troubled on Monday by a Florida law that prohibits social media companies from disfavoring conservative speakers, at least to the extent that it bars major platforms like Facebook and YouTube from making editorial judgments. But several justices indicated that the sprawling law may be constitutional as applied to other sites like …