May 4, 2024
News Service of Florida
Court asks, how should 'riot' be defined in Florida state law?
TALLAHASSEE — A federal appeals court Tuesday turned to the Florida Supreme Court for help as it considers the constitutionality of a 2021 state law that enhanced penalties and created...
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Published on 1/11/2023
Florida's government pension plan falls 6.7% as market falters
TALLAHASSEE — Government pension plans in Florida and other states took a hit in 2022, as a downturn in financial markets caused investment losses, new reports show.
The reports, released...
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Published on 1/11/2023
DeSantis Outlines Second-Term Environmental Plans
TALLAHASSEE --- Gov. Ron DeSantis announced plans Tuesday to spend $3.5 billion in his second term on environmental projects such as restoring the Everglades and addressing water-quality problems.
“This may...
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Published on 1/10/2023
A federal judge has reopened the fight over Florida's transgender athlete law
TALLAHASSEE — After an appeals court upheld a school-board policy that prevented a transgender male student from using boys’ bathrooms, a federal judge has reopened a legal battle about a...
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Published on 1/9/2023
Florida's jobless claims down during holidays
Unemployment claims in Florida decreased during the year-end holiday period.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday released a report that said an estimated 4,064 claims were filed in Florida...
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Published on 1/6/2023
State, Feds Set to Clash on Immigration Policies
TALLAHASSEE — Amid a fierce national debate about immigration issues, Florida next week will try to convince a U.S. district judge that the Biden administration is violating federal laws through...
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Published on 1/6/2023
Florida's emergency management chief seeks changes to disaster response rules
TALLAHASSEE --- Florida’s emergency-management director wants lawmakers to make changes to help with disaster preparation and response, pointing to issues that have arisen as the state recovers from Hurricane Ian...
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Published on 1/5/2023
Lawmakers Look to Stabilize Agriculture Industry
TALLAHASSEE --- As Florida lawmakers look to reduce foreign ownership of farmland, Senate Agriculture Chairman Jay Collins said Wednesday he thinks growth is possible for the state’s agriculture industry.
But...
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Published on 1/4/2023
With private insurers retrenching, Citizens property policy count swells by 50%
TALLAHASSEE — With private insurers dropping customers and raising rates, the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. saw its number of policies increase about 50 percent in 2022.
Citizens had 1,145,178...
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Published on 1/4/2023
Athlete Pay Law Could See Change
A measure filed Tuesday by a House Republican seeks to allow colleges, universities and their employees to steer endorsement opportunities toward student-athletes.
The bill (HB 99) was filed for the...
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Published on 1/4/2023
Pot Initiative Petition Numbers Grow
Nearly 150,000 valid petition signatures have been submitted to the state as part of an initiative to legalize recreational use of marijuana, according to the Florida Division of Elections website....
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Published on 1/4/2023
Florida Gas Prices Top National Average
The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Florida has topped the national average as fuel costs increase.
The AAA auto club said Tuesday the average price...
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Published on 1/3/2023
Amid high inflation, Florida reports higher-than-expected revenue
TALLAHASSEE --- Hurricane recovery efforts helped November tax collections in Florida, as housing sales waned and people continued to dip into savings amid high inflation.
A report released Wednesday estimated...
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Published on 12/29/2022
10 Florida legal battles to watch in 2023
TALLAHASSEE — From abortion to Big Tech to guns, Florida heads into 2023 with courts weighing high-profile legal fights. Here are 10 issues to watch:
— ABORTION: The Florida Supreme...
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Published on 12/28/2022
Feds, Okaloosa school district reach settlement
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Okaloosa County school district have reached a settlement after an investigation into allegations of abuse and improper restraint and seclusion of children with...
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Published on 12/28/2022
DeSantis joins call to end health emergency
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis last week joined 24 other Republican governors in asking President Joe Biden to end a COVID-19 emergency declaration that has helped lead to a surge...
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Published on 12/28/2022
Miami, Tampa top home price increases
Miami and Tampa topped other metro areas in home-price increases in October when compared to a year earlier, though prices are weakening across the country, according to an analysis released...
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Published on 12/28/2022
Court urged to continue blocking education law
Professors and other plaintiffs are urging a federal appeals court to keep in place a preliminary injunction against a new Florida law that seeks to restrict the way race-related concepts can be taught in universities.
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Published on 12/27/2022
11 new Florida laws starting in 2023
TALLAHASSEE -- Beefed up lobbying restrictions and breaks for motorists who frequently use toll roads are among state laws and other changes that will arrive with the new year.
The...
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Published on 12/27/2022
Court backs state in union dispute
TALLAHASSEE — A divided appeals court has backed the Florida Department of Management Services in a dispute about whether a union representing state workers engaged in unfair labor practices.
A...
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Published on 12/26/2022
Citrus budget revised amid production drop
The Florida Citrus Commission on Wednesday made a second budget revision of the growing season to account for the industry’s drop in production, which has been exacerbated by Hurricane Ian....
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Published on 12/22/2022
Cities, counties file suits over opioid epidemic
TALLAHASSEE — Local governments in Northwest Florida and Miami-Dade County have filed lawsuits seeking damages from the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company over its past work in helping market...
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Published on 12/22/2022
Judge Poised to Hear 'Intellectual Freedom' Fight
TALLAHASSEE — Nearly two years after the controversial measure passed, a federal judge next month will consider the constitutionality of a Florida law that requires conducting surveys on state college...
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Published on 12/21/2022
DeSantis Takes Aim at Teacher Union Dues
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis has signaled that he will make a priority of passing a long-debated proposal that would prevent teachers from having union dues deducted from their paychecks....
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Published on 12/21/2022
Toll Discounts Could Drive Future ‘Pressure'
TALLAHASSEE --- Florida lawmakers should anticipate some “political and social” pressure at the end of a one-year program that will offer credits to frequent toll-road users, according to a financial...
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Published on 12/21/2022
Business Beat - Week of May 3rd
