April 23, 2024
News Service of Florida
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
Rural communities in Florida get infrastructure money
Three communities in rural North Florida received nearly $11 million in infrastructure grants on Monday.
"We've seen when we do certain things like provide some foundational infrastructure, a lot of...
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Published on 2/22/2022
Florida's Senate and House are on a 'collision course' over dental care and Medicaid
Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Chairman Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, says the Senate and House are on a “collision course” about dental care as they revamp the state’s Medicaid...
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Published on 2/21/2022
Supreme Court to Hear Pinellas, Pasco Tax Case
The Florida Supreme Court on Monday said it will take up a dispute about whether Pinellas County should be required to pay property taxes on land it owns in neighboring...
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Published on 2/21/2022
Tampa Electric fuel cost hike supported
Tampa Electric Co. should be able to collect more money from customers starting in April because of higher-than-expected fuel costs for power plants, staff members of the Florida Public Service...
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Published on 2/17/2022
Florida jobless claims remain at pre-pandemic levels
Florida continues to see first-time unemployment claims at a pace similar to before the COVID-19 pandemic slammed into the state’s economy.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday released a...
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Published on 2/17/2022
Lawmakers Grapple With Insurance 'Catastrophe'
Offering a grim picture of Florida’s property-insurance system, senators backed proposals Wednesday aimed at bolstering the private market while slowing a flood of policies to the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance...
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Published on 2/17/2022
Students Could Face Financial Literacy Requirement
Florida lawmakers could require high-school students to take a financial literacy course as a condition for graduation.
The House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill (HB 1115)...
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Published on 2/17/2022
House offers tax ‘holidays,' no gas tax break
A House panel Thursday will take up a package that would provide a wide range of tax breaks but does not include Gov. Ron DeSantis’ big-ticket proposal to suspend the...
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Published on 2/16/2022
Florida tops 30 million tourists in fourth quarter
Florida attracted nearly 30.9 million visitors during the final three months of 2021, the second consecutive quarter of drawing more tourists than in the comparable period of 2019 before the...
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Published on 2/15/2022
Florida gator hunts could get longer hours
Alligator hunting could become a 24/7 endeavor under a proposal going before Florida wildlife commissioners.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on March 2 will consider a staff proposal...
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Published on 2/14/2022
Florida OKs extension of COVID-19 legal protections for hospitals, health workers
With the state still grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, the Florida House on Thursday gave final approval to a bill that would extend COVID-19 legal protections for hospitals, nursing homes...
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Published on 2/11/2022
State Moves Toward Regaining Lost Jobs
As Florida posted its fourth consecutive week of slowing unemployment claims, Department of Economic Opportunity Secretary Dane Eagle said Thursday the state is “a few months” away from regaining the...
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Published on 2/10/2022
10 big issues as Florida Legislature reaches 60-day session halftime
The Florida Legislature’s 60-day session reached its halfway point Wednesday. Here are snapshots of 10 big issues in the session:
— ABORTION: The Republican-controlled House and Senate are moving forward...
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Published on 2/9/2022
Enrollment in reading initiative ticks up slowly
About 17 percent of eligible students have enrolled in a $200 million state initiative to deliver free books to the homes of struggling elementary-school readers since a sign-up period opened...
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Published on 2/9/2022
Higher education accreditation changes sought
A Senate bill approved Tuesday would require colleges and universities to change accrediting organizations at the end of each accreditation cycle, a proposal that drew skepticism from Democrats.
The Republican-controlled...
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Published on 2/9/2022
Controversial solar measure approved with changes
A Senate committee Tuesday approved a revamped solar-energy bill, but the changes did not satisfy the rooftop-solar industry and environmental groups.
The Senate Community Affairs Committee voted 6-3 to back...
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Published on 2/9/2022
Retiring Supreme Court Spokesman Honored
Craig Waters, who is retiring as the longtime spokesman for the Florida Supreme Court, is being honored by the First Amendment Foundation for his work in using the internet and...
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Published on 2/8/2022
Florida wants to shield health officials in COVID data lawsuit
The Florida Department of Health has gone to an appeals court in a battle about whether it should provide daily COVID-19 data, as it seeks to be shielded from explaining...
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Published on 2/8/2022
Transgender athlete legal fight in Florida put on hold
A challenge to a controversial state law that bans transgender females from participating on girls’ and women’s sports teams has been put on hold while another Florida case plays out...
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Published on 2/7/2022
COVID-19 hospitalizations continue falling in Florida
The number of Florida hospital inpatients with COVID-19 continues to drop.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services posted data Monday that showed 7,316 Florida inpatients had COVID-19, down...
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Published on 2/7/2022
Florida port officials heading to California to drum up cargo business
Florida port officials will head to California this month to push for more cargo ships to come to Florida to help ease global supply-chain issues.
Members of the Florida Ports...
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Published on 2/7/2022
Florida tax revenues beat projections in December
With inflation helping boost sales tax collections, money continues to amass for state lawmakers as they patch together a budget for next fiscal year.
State economists reported Thursday that general-revenue...
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Published on 2/4/2022
Jobless claims remain steady in Florida
First-time unemployment claims in Florida remain at a steady pace despite impacts of the omicron variant of the coronavirus and inflation.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated 6,081...
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Published on 2/3/2022
Battle over casino initiative continues as deadline passes
The fate of a proposed constitutional amendment that would open the door to Las Vegas-style casinos in North Florida remained in limbo Tuesday, after a judge refused to immediately give...
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Published on 2/2/2022
