April 20, 2024
News Service of Florida
Planned spending approved by Florida lawmakers ranges from airplanes to zoos
A $112.1 billion budget that lawmakers passed last week covers more than the state’s basics for education, health care and law enforcement.
The budget and a series of accompanying bills...
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Published on 3/21/2022
Florida tops 1 million recreational boats
More than 1 million recreational boats are registered in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The agency announced Friday that the number had been surpassed, with...
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Published on 3/20/2022
Florida jobless claims again below 4,000
Florida had its third consecutive week with fewer than 4,000 first-time unemployment claims, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The agency estimated that Florida...
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Published on 3/18/2022
Tobacco Industry Gets Win at Supreme Court
In what a dissenting justice called a “fundamental shift,” the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday issued a ruling that likely will make it harder for many plaintiffs suing tobacco companies...
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Published on 3/17/2022
Florida's General Revenue Tops Projection in January
Florida collected nearly $200 million more in general-revenue taxes in January than had been projected, with most of the jump coming from sales taxes, according to a report posted Wednesday...
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Published on 3/17/2022
Lawsuit asks federal court to set congressional map
TALLAHASSEE — With Gov. Ron DeSantis vowing to veto a congressional redistricting plan, a lawsuit filed late Friday asks a federal court to set new U.S. House districts that would...
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Published on 3/12/2022
Deal hammered out on $112.1 billion budget
Florida lawmakers will vote Monday on a record $112.1 billion state budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, up 10.4 percent from a spending plan approved for the current year.
House...
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Published on 3/11/2022
Florida's citrus crop forecast takes another hit
The seasonal forecast for Florida’s struggling citrus industry got squeezed further Wednesday to a level not seen since before the country entered World War II.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture...
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Published on 3/10/2022
Martin McClain, ‘titan' Florida death row lawyer, dies at 67
Martin McClain, a trailblazing attorney whose representation of Death Row inmates earned accolades from judges, Supreme Court justices and his peers, died suddenly at his Wilton Manors home this week,...
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Published on 3/9/2022
Panhandle blazes continue expanding
Wildfires in Northwest Florida’s Gulf, Calhoun and Bay counties have expanded to more than 34,000 acres as crews continue trying to control the blazes, according to information released Wednesday morning...
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Published on 3/9/2022
Lawmakers vote to extend Visit Florida until 2028
Florida’s taxpayer-supported tourism marketing agency can plan campaigns for the next six years under a bill heading to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The Senate on Tuesday voted 36-3 to go along...
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Published on 3/9/2022
Florida lawmakers will go into overtime to finish session
With a budget remaining unfinished Tuesday night, the annual legislative session is headed to overtime.
Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, and House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, issued a memo...
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Published on 3/9/2022
Lawmakers look to bring budget in for landing
A pair of Embraer Phenom 300E executive jets to transport Florida leaders, more money for nursing homes and base pay raises of 5.38 percent for state workers were among budget...
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Published on 3/8/2022
‘Grim reaper' enters race for Attorney General
Democrat Daniel Uhlfelder, a Northwest Florida lawyer who drew national attention for dressing as the Grim Reaper as he criticized Gov. Ron DeSantis’ handling of the coronavirus pandemic, announced Tuesday...
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Published on 3/8/2022
Legislature backs expanding secrecy around executions
The Florida Senate on Monday passed a measure that would more broadly cloak information about people and businesses involved with state executions and the drugs used for lethal injection, positioning...
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Published on 3/7/2022
Controversial solar changes going to governor
The Florida Senate on Monday gave final approval to a bill that would make major changes in rules for rooftop solar energy, after weeks of attempts by the solar industry...
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Published on 3/7/2022
Florida Weekly Jobless Claims Drop
Florida might have posted its lowest weekly total of jobless claims in at least 16 years.
The President’s Day-shortened week ending Feb. 26 saw an estimated 3,122 initial unemployment claims...
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Published on 3/3/2022
Wildlife officials think feeding helps manatees
State wildlife experts say they think efforts to feed lettuce to starving manatees in the Indian River Lagoon are showing signs of providing relief after a record number of deaths...
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Published on 3/3/2022
Florida's contentious education bills advance. They would scrutinize school books and target race-related teachings.
The Florida Senate moved forward Tuesday with contentious education measures that would increase scrutiny of school library books and limit how certain race-related concepts are taught, though senators tweaked one...
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Published on 3/2/2022
House passes measure targeting sea level rise
The Florida House almost unanimously passed a proposal Wednesday to bolster efforts against sea-level rise.
The bill (HB 7053), sponsored by Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera, R-Coral Gables, would establish a...
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Published on 3/2/2022
Florida House passes bill that would increase oversight of pharmacy benefit managers
The Florida House on Friday unanimously passed a measure that would lead to increased oversight of pharmacy benefit managers, which act as sort of middlemen between health insurers and pharmacies....
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Published on 2/28/2022
Florida COVID-19 hospitalizations, cases drop
With COVID-19 cases continuing to plummet, the number of Florida hospital inpatients with the virus has dropped below 3,000.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released data Monday...
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Published on 2/28/2022
Florida's weekly unemployment claims below 5,000
Despite mounting inflation, people continuing to leave jobs for better opportunities and lingering impacts from the omicron variant of the coronavirus, the U.S. Department of Labor estimated Florida had 4,941...
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Published on 2/24/2022
Florida Senate scales back mail-in voting rules of elections bill
Senate Republicans are revamping a controversial elections bill, including scaling back proposed changes to mail-in voting.
Sponsor Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, filed a lengthy amendment Tuesday, as the Senate Appropriations...
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Published on 2/23/2022
Hotly debated solar changes move forward
Florida lawmakers continued to move forward Monday with key changes in rules for rooftop solar energy, drawing heavy opposition from the solar industry and environmental groups.
But as the House...
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Published on 2/22/2022
