May 6, 2024
News Service of Florida
State Budget Proposals Start Taking Shape
TALLAHASSEE --- Lawmakers could boost spending on the state prison system, but Gov. Ron DeSantis’ requests to increase funding for tourism marketing and economic development weren’t included Wednesday as the...
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Published on 1/25/2024
Farmworker Housing Could Get Boost
TALLAHASSEE --- Local governments would face some limits on regulating the construction of farmworker housing, as state lawmakers seek to attract more seasonal agricultural workers amid rising housing costs.
The...
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Published on 1/24/2024
Raising Local Taxes Could Become Harder
TALLAHASSEE --- City and county boards would face a higher threshold for approving property-tax hikes, under a proposal that started moving forward Monday in the Legislature.
In a 15-7 vote,...
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Published on 1/23/2024
State Urges Supreme Court to Uphold Tech Law
TALLAHASSEE — With the U.S. Supreme Court poised to hear arguments next month, Florida is disputing that a 2021 state law placing restrictions on large social-media platforms violates First Amendment...
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Published on 1/22/2024
Ports Seek Money Amid Competition
Florida Ports Council President & CEO Mike Rubin is urging lawmakers to strengthen investments in ports this year to fend off $200 million in port projects in Texas and efforts...
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Published on 1/17/2024
State Revenue Projections Get Bump
TALLAHASSEE --- State economists on Tuesday increased general-revenue projections by about $2.18 billion for the current fiscal year and next year, giving a boost to lawmakers as they put together...
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Published on 1/17/2024
Florida considers disclaimers for AI-generated political ads
TALLAHASSEE — With the bill’s sponsor saying that rapidly expanding access to generative artificial intelligence “threatens the integrity of elections,” a bill that would require disclaimers on political ads created...
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Published on 1/16/2024
ID cards for undocumented immigrants in Florida targeted
TALLAHASSEE - In another round in long-running debates about illegal immigration, a Senate committee Tuesday approved a bill that would prevent cities and counties from accepting identification cards issued to undocumented immigrants....
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Published on 1/16/2024
Fight over dogs in Florida bars goes to appeals court
The 1st District Court of Appeal on Friday scheduled arguments Feb. 13 in a dispute about whether dogs should be allowed in bars.
A three-judge panel of the Tallahassee-based appeals...
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Published on 1/16/2024
Citrus Numbers Unchanged as Disease Fight Continues
TALLAHASSEE --- Florida’s struggling citrus industry opened the new year without seeing changes in production estimates for this growing season, as state lawmakers begin to decide how much money to...
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Published on 1/15/2024
Cut in Florida lease tax could come sooner than expected
TALLAHASSEE - A reduction in a state tax on commercial leases could begin earlier than anticipated this summer.
The timing of the reduction is tied to replenishing the state's Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund,...
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Published on 1/11/2024
Florida Jobless Claims Tick Up
Florida saw a slight jump in first-time unemployment claims coming out of the holiday period.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated 5,833 initial unemployment claims were filed last...
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Published on 1/11/2024
Gambling Money Eyed for Environment
TALLAHASSEE — Legislative leaders pitched the use of gambling money to help pay for further expansion of a state wildlife corridor and other environmental projects as they kicked off the...
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Published on 1/10/2024
DeSantis Message: 'Stay the Course'
TALLAHASSEE — With his presidential campaign in the background, Gov. Ron DeSantis used his annual State of the State address Tuesday to tout Florida’s accomplishments — while offering few new...
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Published on 1/9/2024
Florida Gas Prices Up, National Prices Down
Average prices at the pump in Florida rose 9 cents in the past week, while national prices dropped.
The AAA auto club said the average price of a gallon of...
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Published on 1/8/2024
Child Social-Media Use Targeted
TALLAHASSEE — In a priority of House Speaker Paul Renner, two House Republicans have filed a bill designed to prevent minors under age 16 from having social-media accounts.
The bill...
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Published on 1/8/2024
An appeals court will weigh a patient drug dispute in a case involving Publix
An appeals court this month will hear arguments in a long-running battle pitting the Publix supermarket chain and insurers against a state agency and doctors over rules for dispensing medications...
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Published on 1/8/2024
FDA Approves Florida Drug Importation Plan
TALLAHASSEE — Almost five years after Florida began pursuing the idea, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a plan that will allow the state to import cheaper...
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Published on 1/8/2024
Florida lawmakers return to Tallahassee with lighter agenda
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Feb. 26 in a First Amendment fight about a 2021 Florida law that placed restrictions on large social-media companies.
The Supreme Court issued...
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Published on 1/8/2024
Questions Swirl Around Fantasy Sports
TALLAHASSEE — As the Seminole Tribe offers online sports betting in Florida, a dispute over fantasy sports is heating up amid efforts by gambling regulators to rein in companies accused...
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Published on 1/4/2024
Lawmakers will look to curb student absenteeism in Florida schools
Florida lawmakers during the upcoming legislative session could look to address the problem of chronic absenteeism among public-school students.
Data collected by the Florida Department of Education showed that 20.9%...
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Published on 1/3/2024
Florida's tax collections top projection
Florida’s general-revenue tax collections in November topped a forecast by 6.9 percent, as lawmakers get ready to draw up a budget during the legislative session that will start next week....
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Published on 1/3/2024
Toll-road users saved $470 million in Florida's yearlong credit program
Frequent toll-road users in Florida saved about $470 million in a recently completed, yearlong program that provided credits on their bills.
The Florida Department of Transportation said about 1.2 million...
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Published on 1/3/2024
10 big issues to watch in Florida's 2024 legislative session
TALLAHASSEE — Florida lawmakers will start the annual 60-day legislative session on Jan. 9, with Gov. Ron DeSantis giving his State of the State address. Here are 10 issues to...
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Published on 1/3/2024
Florida asks Supreme Court to ignore congressional redistricting challenge
TALLAHASSEE — The state has urged the Florida Supreme Court to decline to take up a challenge to the constitutionality of a congressional redistricting plan that Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed...
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Published on 1/2/2024
Business Beat - Week of May 3rd
