May 19, 2024
News Service of Florida
NRA appeals ruling on gun sales to people under 21
The National Rifle Association on Wednesday went to a federal appeals court after a judge last month upheld a Florida law that prevents people under age 21 from buying guns....
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Published on 7/7/2021
State revenues beat expectations in May
Florida’s monthly revenues continue to top expectations, aided recently by an increase in tourism-industry tax collections, a new report from state economists shows.
The Legislature’s Office of Economic & Demographic...
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Published on 7/7/2021
Cable group seeks to weigh in on FPL rates
In a somewhat-unusual move, a cable-television industry group is seeking to intervene in a case about whether Florida Power & Light should be able to raise base electric rates over...
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Published on 7/6/2021
U.S. Supreme Court to hear Florida Medicaid dispute
After getting off a Lee County school bus in November 2008, Gianinna Gallardo was struck by a truck and suffered catastrophic injuries.
Now, more than a decade later, her case...
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Published on 7/5/2021
Florida sees decline in unemployment claims
Florida had a dip in new unemployment claims during the final week in which jobless people could get $300 a week in federal assistance.
In a report released Thursday, the...
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Published on 7/1/2021
Federal judge blocks Florida's new social media law targeting ‘big tech' companies
Calling it “riddled with imprecision and ambiguity,” a federal judge Wednesday blocked a new state law targeting social-media behemoths such as Facebook and Twitter that can strip politicians and other...
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Published on 7/1/2021
Colleges get shield from COVID-19 lawsuits
Marking a victory for colleges and universities that shut down campuses last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Tuesday shielding the schools from lawsuits seeking...
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Published on 6/30/2021
Sports betting proposal pitched in Florida to provide money for education
Steering money from gambling to public education convinced Florida voters to sign off on a state lottery more than three decades ago.
Now, sports-betting behemoths are banking on a similar...
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Published on 6/30/2021
Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoes repeal of no-fault auto insurance in Florida
Pointing to possible negative impacts for the insurance market and drivers, Gov. Ron DeSantis late Tuesday vetoed a long-sought effort by legislators to end the state’s no-fault auto insurance system....
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Published on 6/30/2021
‘Freedom Week' in Florida comes with lots of sales tax breaks. Find out how you can save
Florida is about to find out how much a week of sales-tax “freedom” translates into capitalism.
Starting Thursday, in what lawmakers dubbed “Freedom Week,” people will receive sales-tax breaks when...
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Published on 6/30/2021
‘Home Sweet Home' bill expanding business of home cooking goes to DeSantis
A proposal that could help expand the business of home cooking is before Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The Legislature on Monday formally sent the “Home Sweet Home Act” (HB 663) to...
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Published on 6/29/2021
Judge upholds Florida's ban on gun sales to those under 21, but questions whether it has any effect
While saying the case “falls squarely in the middle of a constitutional no man’s land,” a federal judge has upheld a 2018 Florida law that prevents people under age 21...
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Published on 6/29/2021
Judge weighs constitutionality of social media law
A federal judge on Monday appeared skeptical about a new Florida law aimed at punishing social-media companies that strip users from their platforms or flag users’ content.
Online-industry groups NetChoice...
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Published on 6/29/2021
Budget, bevy of Florida laws ready to take effect
More than 100 new laws passed during the 2021 legislative session will hit the books this week, ranging from a record $100 billion state budget to a ban on COVID-19...
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Published on 6/28/2021
Masks are off, but legal wrangling continues
Gov. Ron DeSantis in early May blocked cities and counties from requiring people to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
But that hasn’t stopped legal battles over mask...
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Published on 6/28/2021
Statewide campaign touts benefits of physical therapy
A physical therapy association on Thursday launched a website and digital campaign to promote the benefits of physical therapy, including to help in recovery from COVID-19.
The website PTforMe.org lists a wide...
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Published on 6/28/2021
‘Freedom Week' tax holiday coming up. How will it affect Florida's tax revenue?
State economists acknowledge the upcoming “Freedom Week” tax holiday is uncharted territory when it comes to estimating reductions in tax revenue.
Lawmakers approved the first-of-its-kind tax holiday, which will run...
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Published on 6/25/2021
Judge blocks aid to minority farmers
Siding with a white farmer from North Florida, a U.S. district judge has blocked a federal plan to provide loan relief to Black and other minority farmers who historically faced...
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Published on 6/24/2021
No more birthday cards for Florida inmates — prisons propose scanning all 'routine' mail
Photos of spouses, kids’ hand-colored drawings and letters stained by tears are among prison inmates’ most-cherished lifelines to the outside world.
But Florida corrections officials are moving ahead with a...
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Published on 6/23/2021
Florida drops fight to regulate specialized health-care services
After facing nearly a dozen challenges from hospitals across the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has withdrawn a series of proposed rules related to regulating highly specialized health-care services.
The...
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Published on 6/21/2021
State appeals court refuses to halt high-stakes hospital fight
In a decade-long legal fight that could involve hundreds of millions of dollars, a state appeals court this past week refused to halt a case that argues Sarasota County is...
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Published on 6/21/2021
Black farmers get priority as Florida prepares to issue new medical marijuana licenses
A Black farmer with ties to doing business in Florida will be at the head of the line for a long-awaited batch of medical-marijuana licenses in an application process that...
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Published on 6/21/2021
Florida, other states lose Supreme Court case against Obamacare
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a challenge by Florida and 17 other states to the Affordable Care Act, leaving intact the law that has helped more than 2...
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Published on 6/18/2021
Florida sees uptick in jobless claims
Florida saw a slight uptick in new unemployment claims last week, yet the numbers continued to be among the lowest since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020....
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Published on 6/17/2021
Florida misses deadline on plan for federal schools stimulus money
Florida is among 21 states that have not submitted plans to the U.S. Department of Education detailing how they intend to use the latest round of federal stimulus funds earmarked...
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Published on 6/16/2021
