May 19, 2024
News Service of Florida
Utility Bills Expected to Dip in 2024
TALLAHASSEE — After high natural-gas costs helped push up electric bills over the past year, many Florida utility customers could get some relief in 2024.
The three major private electric...
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Published on 12/21/2023
Florida bill seeks multiple finalists in college president searches
A Senate Democrat on Tuesday proposed requiring colleges and universities to consider three to five finalists in presidential searches, after some high-profile searches have yielded a sole candidate.
Sen. Tina...
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Published on 12/20/2023
Florida Cabinet OKs conservation deals for cattle ranches
TALLAHASSEE --- Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet on Tuesday approved spending $19 million to conserve rural land used for cattle, while also expanding a list of agricultural properties...
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Published on 12/19/2023
Money Eyed for Transportation Funding ‘Gap'
TALLAHASSEE --- A $7 billion program to advance a series of transportation projects hit a funding gap as it enters its second year and will require more money than initially...
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Published on 12/18/2023
Florida jobless claims show little change
Applications for unemployment benefits in Florida continue to come in at a slow, steady pace.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday issued a report that estimated 5,818 initial jobless...
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Published on 12/15/2023
Decision expected soon about Florida's plan to import prescription drugs
Federal officials are expected to decide by Jan. 5 whether to approve a Florida plan to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada, state Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Jason...
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Published on 12/14/2023
New Florida medical marijuana licenses could come by summer
TALLAHASSEE - Florida could move forward with 22 additional licenses for medical marijuana operators, nearly doubling the size of the state's legal cannabis industry, within the next six months.
The state...
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Published on 12/14/2023
Lawmakers Start Weighing DeSantis Budget Plan
TALLAHASSEE --- Describing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposed 2024-2025 budget as “very responsible,” House and Senate Republican budget chiefs on Tuesday brushed aside concerns about the $114.4 billion spending plan.
Democrats...
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Published on 12/13/2023
Petition to place abortion protection on ballot nears 700,000 signatures
Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment that would ensure abortion rights in Florida continue moving closer to submitting enough petition signatures to get on the 2024 ballot.
The Florida Division...
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Published on 12/11/2023
Citrus Forecast Shows Uptick
TALLAHASSEE --- As it hopes for a warm winter, Florida’s struggling citrus industry could be showing signs of recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Ian and progress in the decades-long...
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Published on 12/11/2023
Orlando to Tampa Rail Proposal Chugs Along
TALLAHASSEE --- Passenger rail service in Florida wasn’t included Friday as the White House announced awarding $8.2 billion for a series of major rail projects.
But Christine Kefauver, senior vice...
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Published on 12/11/2023
State Continues Tapping National Guard for Prisons
TALLAHASSEE — A little more than a year after calling on the National Guard to assist the state Department of Corrections, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is proposing to assign another...
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Published on 12/8/2023
Florida Jobless Claims Tick Up
Florida saw an increase in unemployment claims coming out of the short Thanksgiving holiday week.
The U.S. Department of Labor issued a report Thursday that showed an estimated 5,866 initial...
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Published on 12/8/2023
Visit Florida Could Get Funding Boost
Florida’s tourism-marketing agency would get more state money as part of a proposed $114.4 billion budget that Gov. Ron DeSantis rolled out Tuesday for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
The proposed...
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Published on 12/8/2023
Florida lawmakers consider annual fees for owners of electric vehicles
TALLAHASSEE — Florida lawmakers have restarted a move to impose annual registration fees on electric vehicles amid pushback over the proposed amount.
The Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday backed a...
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Published on 12/7/2023
Florida's population growth expected to slow in coming years
TALLAHASSEE — Florida continues to grow as it attracts people from other parts of the U.S., but that growth is projected to slow in the coming years as groups that...
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Published on 12/7/2023
Citizens tries to tamp down concerns
TALLAHASSEE — Saying the state’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has “never sought a federal bailout, period,” Citizens President and CEO Tim Cerio on Wednesday took issue with a U.S. Senate...
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Published on 12/6/2023
DeSantis Proposes $114.4B State Budget
TALLAHASSEE --- Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday pitched a $114.4 billion budget for next fiscal year that includes a variety of tax cuts and spending on such things as teacher...
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Published on 12/6/2023
Duke OK'd to Collect Idalia Costs
State regulators Tuesday approved a plan by Duke Energy Florida that includes collecting $91.9 million from customers in 2024 to cover costs related to Hurricane Idalia.
The plan, approved unanimously...
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Published on 12/5/2023
State grapples with physician shortage
TALLAHASSEE — With Florida’s population growing and an anticipated shortfall of nearly 18,000 physicians by 2035, a research arm of the Legislature is suggesting ways that lawmakers could increase retention...
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Published on 12/5/2023
Florida fires back in its fight over sports betting
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis and legislative leaders late Friday urged the Florida Supreme Court to reject a challenge to a deal that allowed the Seminole Tribe to offer online...
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Published on 12/4/2023
Florida fires back in its fight over sports betting
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis and legislative leaders late Friday urged the Florida Supreme Court to reject a challenge to a deal that allowed the Seminole Tribe to offer online...
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Published on 12/4/2023
Florida fires back in its fight over sports betting
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis and legislative leaders late Friday urged the Florida Supreme Court to reject a challenge to a deal that allowed the Seminole Tribe to offer online...
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Published on 12/4/2023
Lobbying Restrictions Get Go-Ahead
TALLAHASSEE — A federal appeals court Thursday allowed Florida to enforce — with one exception — a 2018 constitutional amendment imposing restrictions on lobbying while a legal battle continues to...
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Published on 12/3/2023
Florida taking aim at lease tax
TALLAHASSEE --- One of the biggest parts of a $1.3 billion tax package passed this spring will take hold Friday: a cut in Florida’s commercial-lease tax from 5.5 percent to...
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Published on 11/30/2023
