May 17, 2024
News Service of Florida
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
Increased Duke fuel costs get go-ahead
Duke Energy Florida customers will start seeing increased monthly bills because of higher-than-expected fuel costs for power plants.
The state Public Service Commission on Tuesday approved a Duke request to...
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Published on 2/1/2022
Lawmakers seek to bolster resiliency efforts
Florida senators are looking at taking further steps to combat rising sea levels by expanding a proposal that would put a resiliency office directly under Gov. Ron DeSantis’ control
The...
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Published on 2/1/2022
Casino initiative legal fight dropped
After two months of fierce legal battling, supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at allowing casinos in North Florida have dropped a lawsuit that alleged opponents tried to “sabotage”...
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Published on 1/31/2022
Appeals court rules there's no ‘legal right' to force a hospital to treat COVID patient with ivermectin
A state appeals court on Thursday said a family did not have a “legal right” to force Mayo Clinic Jacksonville to administer the controversial drug ivermectin to try to keep...
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Published on 1/31/2022
Medical malpractice fight emerges again in Florida Legislature
The Florida House on Thursday refueled a debate about whether parents should be able to seek damages for mental pain and suffering when their adult children die because of alleged...
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Published on 1/31/2022
Sports Betting Initiative Misses Mark for 2022
Florida voters won’t have a chance to decide whether to legalize sports betting after supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment backed by major online gambling companies FanDuel and DraftKings acknowledged...
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Published on 1/29/2022
Florida weekly jobless claims below 7,000
Florida continues to see unemployment claims roll in at a pace that has remained relatively stable since May and well below the crush of claims when businesses closed or scaled...
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Published on 1/27/2022
Controversial local lawsuits bill to see changes
A controversial measure that could lead to businesses filing lawsuits against cities and counties likely will be revamped Thursday when it goes before the Florida Senate.
Sen. Travis Hutson, a...
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Published on 1/26/2022
Senators Look to Stem Citizens Insurance Growth
A Senate panel Tuesday approved a proposal aimed at stemming the growth of the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and shifting more policies into the private market.
The Senate Banking...
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Published on 1/26/2022
New CEO Named at NextEra Energy
NextEra Energy, the parent company of Florida Power & Light, named John Ketchum on Tuesday as its president and chief executive officer.
Ketchum, who has held a number of executive...
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Published on 1/25/2022
Lawmakers look to boost broadband in rural areas
Florida lawmakers are looking to use at least $400 million in federal stimulus money to to help broadband providers expand services to mostly rural, underserved areas.
But don’t expect to...
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Published on 1/24/2022
Duke Energy dispute goes to Florida Supreme Court
A dispute about whether Duke Energy Florida customers should be required to pay $7.2 million related to an outage at a power plant has gone to the state Supreme Court....
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Published on 1/24/2022
State gets $4 billion bump in estimated tax dollars
With lawmakers preparing to craft a new state budget, economists estimated Friday that Florida will collect nearly $4 billion more in general-revenue taxes than had been expected over two years....
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Published on 1/22/2022
Florida weekly jobless claims dip
With the state set to issue a detailed unemployment report Friday, first-time jobless claims decreased last week.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated 7,694 first-time unemployment claims were...
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Published on 1/21/2022
State agencies grapple with worker shortage
Amid a national worker shortage, state agencies are struggling to fill vacant positions and retain employees, including those who care for some of Florida’s most vulnerable citizens.
Many employees are...
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Published on 1/20/2022
Visit Florida Extension Gets House Support
A proposal to extend the life of Visit Florida got support Tuesday in the House, where the state’s tourist-marketing agency has faced skepticism in past years.
The House Tourism, Infrastructure...
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Published on 1/19/2022
Lawmakers Back Limiting Ballot Initiatives
In the latest chapter in years of battles about amending the Florida Constitution, a House panel Tuesday backed a proposal that would limit the subjects that could be included in...
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Published on 1/19/2022
Prisons Chief Offers Optimism about Embattled System
Florida’s embattled prison system is poised for a turnaround if lawmakers continue to fund staff increases and bonuses, Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon told a Senate panel on Tuesday....
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Published on 1/18/2022
Florida gasoline prices head higher
Gasoline prices in Florida increased 3 cents a gallon during the past week and are expected to continue rising because of higher oil prices, the AAA auto club said Tuesday....
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Published on 1/18/2022
Jobless Claims Up as 2022 Starts
First-time unemployment claims in Florida doubled during the first week of 2022 from the holiday-shortened final week of 2021.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated 9,705 initial unemployment...
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Published on 1/13/2022
Lottery Ticket Sales Beat Expectations
Florida Lottery ticket sales were $314 million above projections in the first half of the current fiscal year, but state economists anticipate a “pandemic-related” surge in sales to ease.
A...
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Published on 1/13/2022
Florida citrus forecast takes another hit
Florida’s citrus industry continues to see production squeezed, as a new forecast dropped the projected orange crop for the current growing season by 3 percent, with specialty fruits down 11...
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Published on 1/13/2022
