TALLAHASSEE --- As a national debate rages over gun laws after last month’s mass shooting at a Texas elementary school, proponents of “red-flag” policies point to a Florida law as a model for states seeking to strip deadly weapons from people who could cause harm.
TALLAHASSEE — Breaking from the Legislature’s efforts to punish school districts that imposed mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday directed Florida’s new education commissioner to ignore a plan that would have made the districts ineligible for $200 million. DeSantis, who signed the state budget for the upcoming 2022-2023 fiscal year, […]
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office is advertising for a director of the revived Florida State Guard.
Record fuel prices could make many Floridians less willing to evacuate if they are threatened by hurricanes, the AAA auto club said. With the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas in Florida at a near-record $4.57 on Tuesday, AAA released survey results that said 42 percent of Floridians might be hesitant about […]
As Florida continues to grapple with deadly opioids such as fentanyl, Attorney General Ashley Moody on Tuesday issued an emergency rule to outlaw eight synthetic drugs. The order targeted drugs known as nitazenes, which Moody’s office said have been linked to at least 15 deaths in Florida since 2020. The order makes it a felony […]
TALLAHASSEE — With Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran stepping down at the end of the month, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday recommended Republican state Sen. Manny Diaz Jr. as Corcoran’s replacement. This news was expected as The Floridian was the first to report that Sen. Diaz would most likely be tapped to replace Corcoran. Corcoran, a […]
TALLAHASSEE --- Bowing to Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Legislature on Tuesday advanced two proposals aimed at punishing Walt Disney Co. for criticizing a controversial new law restricting instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation in public schools --- a measure critics have dubbed the “don’t say gay” bill. DeSantis added the bills to a […]
TALLAHASSEE — As a similar battle plays out in federal court, plaintiffs have dropped a Leon County circuit court lawsuit seeking to have a judge redraw Florida’s congressional districts.
TALLAHASSEE — Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office filed a lawsuit Wednesday against five public hospital systems and the Miami-Dade County School Board, arguing they are jeopardizing settlements with pharmaceutical-industry companies over the opioid epidemic. Moody’s office filed the lawsuit in Leon County circuit court against the Sarasota County Public Hospital District, Lee Memorial Health System, […]
TALLAHASSEE --- Chuck Nadd, a Winter Park resident who flew helicopters for the U.S. Army, filed paperwork Monday to battle Senate President Wilton Simpson in the Republican primary for state agriculture commissioner.
Florida, Alabama and Georgia filed a federal lawsuit Monday alleging that the Biden administration is not properly deporting undocumented immigrants who commit crimes. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and Georgia Attorney General Christopher Carr filed the 24-page lawsuit in the federal Northern District of Alabama. It alleges that the Biden […]
By Jim Saunders TALLAHASSEE — With lawmakers heading into a special legislative session this month, Secretary of State Laurel Lee is asking a federal court to put on hold a case that argues judges should set Florida’s new congressional districts. Lee filed a motion Friday in U.S. district court in Tallahassee seeking a stay of […]
LGBTQ-advocacy groups and federal education officials Monday condemned Gov. Ron DeSantis for signing a bill that will bar instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in early school grades, with one organization pledging to file a lawsuit. In part, the measure (HB 1557) will prohibit instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through […]
By Jim Saunders TALLAHASSEE — A Leon County circuit judge indicated Wednesday she will uphold a 2015 state law that would require women to wait 24 hours before having abortions, opponents of the law said. Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey held a hearing on a motion by Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office to reject a constitutional […]
Florida’s first-time unemployment claims last week were slightly higher than during the previous three weeks, but the pace of claims continues to be similar to levels before the COVID-19 pandemic hammered the economy in early 2020. The U.S. Department of Labor estimated 4,704 first-time claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended March […]
The Legislature on Monday formally sent a bill to Gov. Ron DeSantis that would add a financial literacy course as a graduation requirement for high-school students. The measure (SB 1054) was unanimously approved during the 2022 legislative session, which ended last week. Students entering high-school in the 2023-2024 academic year would be required to take […]
TALLAHASSEE — In what a dissenting justice called a “fundamental shift,” the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday issued a ruling that likely will make it harder for many plaintiffs suing tobacco companies about smoking-related illnesses. The 6-1 ruling dealt with plaintiffs in a large group of cases — known as “Engle progeny” cases — and […]
TALLAHASSEE --- Florida lawmakers passed a record $112.1 billion budget Monday to end a legislative session dominated by fierce debates about issues such as education, abortion and immigration. Only three lawmakers voted against the election-year spending plan, which was pumped up by federal stimulus money and higher-than-expected state tax collections. It funnels money to myriad […]
