May 4, 2024
News Service of Florida
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
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
Business Beat - Week of May 3rd
