Patronis fights lawsuit over employee ouster

Patronis fights lawsuit over employee ouster

News Service of Florida
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February 15, 2019
Patronis’ motion to dismiss the case centers on an argument that he is entitled to “qualified immunity,” a legal concept that helps protect public officials from lawsuits for actions they take in their jobs. The document said Taul “cannot provide any precedent establishing the unlawfulness of the dismissal of DFS’s risk management program administrator.”
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Lawmakers grapple with Felons' voting rights

Lawmakers grapple with Felons' voting rights

News Service of Florida
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February 15, 2019
The amendment, approved by 64 percent of Florida voters in November, exempts murderers and people who have committed “felony sex offenses” from automatic voting-rights restoration.
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Bill would require baby changing tables

Bill would require baby changing tables

News Service of Florida
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February 15, 2019
The bill spells out various types of buildings where baby changing tables would be required, including shopping centers or malls larger than 25,000 square feet, retail stores larger than 5,000 square feet
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Lawmakers give green light to smokable marijuana

Lawmakers give green light to smokable marijuana

News Service of Florida
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February 13, 2019
Under Brandes’ amendment, residents in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospice facilities would be allowed to smoke medical marijuana, if the facilities allowed it.
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Senate panel approves arming teachers

Senate panel approves arming teachers

News Service of Florida
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February 13, 2019
The school guardian program, part of a sweeping law created in response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting last February, allows school personnel to carry concealed weapons on campus after going through extensive training.
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Part of BP money could help hurricane recovery

Part of BP money could help hurricane recovery

News Service of Florida
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February 10, 2019
But members of the Triumph Gulf Coast Board said the BP settlement money they oversee isn’t a replacement for anticipated state and federal assistance for the storm that crashed across parts of Northwest Florida nearly four months ago.
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Orange crop numbers remain steady

Orange crop numbers remain steady

News Service of Florida
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February 10, 2019
Shannon Shepp, executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus, called the numbers “a relatively stable forecast.”
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New cannabis chief sees potential in hemp

New cannabis chief sees potential in hemp

News Service of Florida
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February 7, 2019
Fried said Bell will work with farmers and scientists to help develop Florida’s nascent hemp industry following the passage of a federal farm bill that broadly legalized hemp, a cannabis plant that does not contain euphoria-inducing THC. Also, Bell will monitor other state agencies’ activities regarding medical marijuana.
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Farmer floats free marijuana ID cards for vets

Farmer floats free marijuana ID cards for vets

News Service of Florida
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February 7, 2019
Currently, patients pay $75 a year for the identification cards, issued by the Department of Health.
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House starts digging into DeSantis budget

House starts digging into DeSantis budget

News Service of Florida
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February 6, 2019
“I think the governor’s team has put out a good budget, but now it is our job in the Florida House to decide where the spending priorities are and, quite frankly, where some spending cuts are necessary,” Cummings said.
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Senators take aim at constitution revision panel

Senators take aim at constitution revision panel

News Service of Florida
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February 5, 2019
The committee unanimously backed the measure (SJR 362), which would ask voters to eliminate the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, a panel that meets every 20 years and has unique power to place proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot.
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Changes cloud effort to repeal pot smoking ban

Changes cloud effort to repeal pot smoking ban

News Service of Florida
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February 5, 2019
Sen. Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican who has long been a proponent of medical marijuana, has filed a measure (SB 182) to strip the ban from the law.
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DeSantis backs property-tax relief, jobs growth fund

DeSantis backs property-tax relief, jobs growth fund

News Service of Florida
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February 3, 2019
Despite DeSantis’ approach, expect lawmakers to again consider a broad menu of tax cuts before a final package is put together.
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Report details ethics violations against Gillum

Report details ethics violations against Gillum

News Service of Florida
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January 31, 2019
REPORT DETAILS ETHICS ALLEGATIONS AGAINST GILLUM January 30, 2019Dara Kam Gillum TALLAHASSEE --- The Florida Commission on Ethics released documents Wednesday supporting the panel’s unanimous finding of probable cause that Andrew Gillum, last year’s Democratic nominee for governor and a former Tallahassee mayor, violated ethics laws with trips to Costa Rica and New York and […]
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Future of Medicaid cut remains unclear

Future of Medicaid cut remains unclear

News Service of Florida
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January 31, 2019
TALLAHASSEE --- A new era in the Medicaid program will begin Friday when the state eliminates a long-standing policy about paying health-care bills that accumulate while people prepare to apply for coverage. What’s not clear, though, is whether it will be a short-lived era or not. House and Senate leaders attending an annual Associated Press […]
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Marijuana smoking legal battle put on hold

Marijuana smoking legal battle put on hold

News Service of Florida
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January 30, 2019
An appeals court Tuesday put on hold a case challenging the constitutionality of a ban on smoking medical marijuana, as Gov. Ron DeSantis pushes lawmakers to eliminate the ban. The 1st District Court of Appeal approved a stay sought by both sides in the lawsuit. Attorneys last week asked the court to postpone the case […]
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Senators begin moving forward with vaping ban

Senators begin moving forward with vaping ban

News Service of Florida
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January 29, 2019
A Senate committee next week will consider a bill that would carry out a voter-approved constitutional amendment that bans vaping in indoor workplaces. The Senate Innovation, Industry and Technology Committee is slated to consider the bill (SPB 7012) on Feb. 5. That comes almost exactly three months after voters approved the constitutional amendment in the […]
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Second bill filed to end Marijuana smoking ban

Second bill filed to end Marijuana smoking ban

News Service of Florida
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January 29, 2019
With Gov. Ron DeSantis backing the issue, Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, filed a bill Monday that would eliminate a ban on smoking medical marijuana. Brandes’ bill (SB 182) is similar to a measure (SB 372) filed this month by Sen. Gary Farmer, D-Fort Lauderdale. Both are filed for consideration during the legislative session that […]
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