DeSantis has issued a series of executive orders aimed at voluntarily limiting face-to-face interactions but has avoided a more hardline statewide approach, citing concerns about intensifying the virus’ negative impact on the state’s economy.
Florida Legislature
Lawmakers Agree on $92 Billion Budget; Teacher Pay Increase Falls $400 Million Short of DeSantis Goal
Lawmakers agreed to put $400 million toward raising teachers’ minimum salaries and $100 million into giving veteran teachers pay hikes. DeSantis wanted $602 million to set a statewide $47,500 minimum salary for all public school teachers and $300 million for a new teacher bonus program.
$500 Million for Teacher Raises, $100 Million for Florida Forever
The $100 million planned for Florida Forever isn’t the $300 million the program annually received more than a decade ago, but it’s a boost for supporters of the program, which got $33 million during the current fiscal year.
Florida House Speeding Toward Proposal to Allow Stadium-Wide Prayers at High School Games
Amid a long-running legal battle, the Florida House on Friday moved forward with a proposal that could allow schools to offer prayers over public-address systems before events such as high-school championship football games.
DeSantis Favors Senate Bill That Would Require All Public and Many Private Employers to E-Verify
All public employers including school districts, state agencies and public universities and private employers with at least 50 employees would have to use the federal system, or one that the state Department of Economic Opportunity deems is “substantially equivalent” to E-Verify.
Once Again, Vacation Rental Plan to End Local Regulation Falters Over Committee Hurdles
The Senate Rules Committee was scheduled to hear the bill (SB 1128) Monday, but bill sponsor Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah, said the measure was postponed because he lacked the support necessary to get it out of the committee.
Standoff Over Age and Tobacco Definition Could Doom Vaping Regulations
Florida House Speaker José Oliva is balking at raising the age to purchase cigarettes and vaping products to 21, despite a federal law, and would not identify vaping and e-cigarettes as “tobacco products.”
Boosting Flagler Officials, Gov. DeSantis Is ‘Leaning Against’ Dismantling Local Vacation Rental Regulations
Gov. Ron DeSantis is expressing concerns about legislative proposals that would further prevent local governments from regulating short-term vacation rentals. The governor’s stance drew cheers from Flagler County Commission Chairman Dave Sullivan.
New Proposed Laws Would Make It Harder for Citizens to Submit Constitutional Amendments
The proposals come as the Republican-controlled House and Senate also are moving forward with other bills that would place additional restrictions on the petition-signature process.
Supreme Court Denies Styrofoam Appeal: Law Banning Local Governments From Regulating Pollutant Stands
Coral Gables approved an ordinance to ban Styrofoam in February 2016, and the Florida Retail Federation and Super Progreso, Inc., later filed a lawsuit challenging the ordinance’s legality.
Sen. Hutson Joins 3-2 Party-Line Vote to Further Advance Short-Term Rental Bill Ending Local Control
A long-running dispute over vacation rentals is heating up, as a Senate panel Tuesday approved a proposal that would give the state — not local officials — control over regulation of short-term rentals.
Senators Are Warned Florida’s College Sports Could Be Harmed, But Move for Athletes’ Earnings
A bill has been characterized as a “bill of rights” for Florida college athletes in outlining how they can earn compensation for their “name, image, likeness or persona.”
Bill Allowing Guns in Churches and Other Religious Institutions on School Grounds Gains
A controversial effort to allow people with concealed-weapons licenses to bring guns to religious institutions that share property with schools advanced through the House Education Committee Thursday.
Sen. Hutson Ties One More Visit Florida Lifeline to Promoting ‘Awareness of How Great We’re Doing in Higher Ed’
While the House is ready to turn out the lights on the state’s tourism-marketing agency, the Senate, behind Sen. Travis Hutson, now wants to give Visit Florida a slight funding boost.
Florida House Panel Backs Bills Allowing Local Politicians to Arm Themselves at Public Meetings
The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee also approved a measure that would allow people to carry concealed weapons at religious institutions that share properties with schools.
Federal Appeals Court Hears Arguments on Repayments as Condition to Restoring Florida Felons’ Voting Rights
The fight is rooted in the wording of the 2018 constitutional amendment, which restored voting rights to felons “who have completed all terms of their sentence, including parole or probation,” excluding people “convicted of murder or a felony sexual offense.”
NCAA Looking at Florida and Other States as Athletes’ Pay Is Debated
NCAA leaders reaffirmed they won’t support a system that makes students paid employees of schools, something Florida isn’t looking to do.
Military Training as College Credits? It Could Soon Be Reality in Florida
Florida lawmakers are fast-tracking legislation that would allow service members and veterans to receive college credits for their military training, with the goal of saving time and money.
Supreme Court Reverses Unanimous-Jury Requirement in Death Penalty, Raising Questions About a Flagler Case
The Florida Supreme Court said unanimous jury recommendations are not necessary before death sentences can be imposed, backing away from a 2016 decision. The ruling puts in question the case of Bunnell’s Cornelius Baker, scheduled for a re-sentencing in February.
Wrongfully Convicted, He Was on Florida’s Death Row for 42 Years. He’s Seeking $2.5 Million the State Owes Him.
Clifford Williams, now 77, gives God the credit for his release from prison, after state prosecutors found he and his nephew, Hubert Nathan Myers, were wrongly convicted in the 1976 Jacksonville murder of a woman and the attempted murder of her girlfriend.
Florida Senate Panel Backs Reparations for Descendants of Ocoee Massacre Victims at White Mob’s Hands
Some 60 to 70 black residents of Ocoee were murdered during the massacre in the Central Florida town. The reparation funding levels were modeled, in part, on a 1994 decision by the Legislature to compensate African-American families up to $150,000 for damages in the Rosewood Massacre of 1923.
Florida Senate on Brink of New Rules for Drug Offenses, Lowering Sentences and Restoring Judges’ Discretion
Under the new guidelines, judges would be allowed to consider shorter sentences and lower fines for drug-trafficking defendants who meet certain criteria. But the bill’s fate in the House is uncertain.
DeSantis Opposed to Measure Closing Gun-Show Loophole to Require Background Checks
The proposal (SB 7028) would close the gun-show “loophole,” create a record-keeping system for private gun sales and set aside $5 million to establish a “statewide strategy for violence prevention,” among other things.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’s State of the State Address
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday gave his State of the State address to formally start the 2020 legislative session. Here’s the full text as prepared for delivery.
Florida Lawmakers Pressured to Increase Penalties Over School Safety as Grand Jury Finds Flaws
The grand jury wants the Legislature to give the Florida Department of Education more power to investigate non-compliant districts and to allow the state agency to sanction local school officials, reprimands that could include fines or removal from office.
Favoring Student Profits, House Speaker Says College Athletics Have ‘Basically Become Pro Sports’
House Speaker Jose Oliva offered support Tuesday to lawmakers who want Florida’s college athletes to be able to cash in on their names and images, as three influential House committees prepare to jointly discuss the issue next week.
Nikki Fried Backs Cities and Counties on Immunity for More Restrictive Local Gun Laws
The law, passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2011, threatens tough penalties — including fines and potential removal from office — if local elected officials approve gun regulations.
Supreme Court Defines When Stand Your Ground Law Shifting Burden to Prosecution Applies
With backing from groups such as the National Rifle Association, the 2017 law shifted the burden from defendants to prosecutors to prove whether a self-defense claim is justified.
GOP Legislators Claim Restrictions on Medical Pot Keeps It From Ending Up In Recreational Hands
In a Florida Supreme Court case with major ramifications for the medical-marijuana industry, the Florida House contends a disputed 2017 law helps prevent “diversion” of pot to the illegal recreational market, minors and other states.
$600,000 Sought to Help Pulse Massacre Survivors
Two House Democrats want the Legislature to set aside nearly $600,000 to keep open the doors of a center that helps survivors of the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
Florida House Revives Controversial College Survey That Would Undermine Intellectual Freedom
During the final hours of the 2019 legislative session, Senate Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, warned senators the so-called intellectual freedom survey would “keep coming up again” and urged the Senate to block it from passing every time.
Physician Assistants and Certain Nurses Could Practice Independent of Doctors Under Proposed Law
Bill sponsor Cary Pigman, R-Avon Park, said the proposal (HB 607) would go a long way toward improving patients’ access to primary-care providers, especially in medically underserved areas of the state.
God, Homosexuality and Government Intrusion Frame Senate Panel’s Push For Abortion Restrictions
The 6-3 vote by the Senate Health Policy Committee followed a hearing that lasted more than 90 minutes as Chairwoman Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, tried to balance testimony between people on both sides.
Nikki Fried Backs Proposed Requirement to Keep Fingerprints of Concealed-Weapons Applicants
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is backing a measure that would require her agency to retain fingerprints of applicants seeking concealed-weapon licenses.
State Seeks to Strictly Deny Home Rule to Florida Cities and Counties on Gun Regulations
Pointing to a “hierarchical relationship” with local governments, the state late Friday asked an appeals court to uphold a 2011 law that has threatened tough penalties if city and county officials approve gun regulations.
DeSantis Proposes $91.4 Billion Budget, With Focus on Teachers and Environment
Lawmakers will decide whether to move forward with DeSantis’ priorities, such as his plan to set minimum teacher salaries at $47,500 — an idea that would cost $603 million next year.
DeSantis Pitches Bonuses for Teachers and Principals Based on School Grades
Bonuses would be up to $7,500 for teachers and up to $10,000 for principals, drawing immediate criticism from the teachers union, which has long pushed for salary increases rather than bonuses.
Now Calling It ‘Dangerous,’ Florida House Moves Toward Abolishing Constitution Revision Commission
The Constitution Revision Commission drew across-the-aisle scorn for the manner in which it successfully put seven amendments on the November 2018 ballot. Voters may get to vote on abolishing it–through a constitutional amendment in 2020.
Measure Would Loosen Minimum Mandatory Drug Sentences, But Police Chiefs Object
A bill would loosen mandatory minimum sentencing laws for some drug-trafficking offenses. The proposed change that ran into opposition from law enforcement officials.
With Recreational Pot on Florida’s Horizon, a House Panel Looks to Oregon for Insights
Facing the possibility that Floridians could be asked next year to legalize recreational marijuana, a House panel on Tuesday turned to Oregon to learn more about the economic, environmental and health impacts the state has faced since authorizing adult pot use four years ago.
School Safety Commission Calls for More Mental Health Funding in Second Major Report
A state commission tasked with making school-safety policy recommendations to the Florida Legislature approved a draft report on Thursday that will highlight a need for more mental health funding.
Florida’s Parental Consent Abortion Bill Is Intended to Shame and Scare Pregnant Girls
“We’re stridently noisily pro-choice creatures,” conservative writer Nancy Smith says. “You know why? Because we remember what it was like to grow up in towns and cities without Roe V. Wade. We were there, eyes wide open.”
Florida Senate Removes Broward Sheriff Scott Israel from Office
Special Master Dudley Goodlette, a former Republican state representative from Naples, recommended last month that Israel be reinstated, finding that DeSantis’ lawyers failed to present evidence to support the suspension.
Senate Panel’s Republican Majority Backs Ouster of Democratic Sheriff Scott Israel
Ignoring the conclusions of a Senate special master, a key committee voted along party lines Monday night to uphold Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ouster of Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel.
New Building Improvement Regulations Eyed to Withstand Hurricanes
The Florida Building Commission gave tentative approval to more-stringent wind resistance requirements for vinyl siding and additional mitigation requirements for rooftop decks, among other recommendations to lawmakers.
Palm Coast Sewer Line Through Hammock Would Reduce Reliance on Septic, But Raises Development Fears
A Palm Coast sewer line up the spine of the barrier island would help stop a reliance on septic tanks and has been a priority for local governments, but Hammock residents are concerned that it would also spur more intensive development.
New Laws Take Effect Tuesday Targeting Texting While Driving, Hazing, Sex Dolls and Vet Courts
The state’s ban on texting while driving will expand to prohibit motorists from using handheld wireless devices while driving in designated school crossings, school zones and work zones.
Appeals Court Upholds Florida’s ‘Red Flag’ Law Allowing Gun Seizure From Mentally Ill
Florida’s red flag law passed after the 2018 mass shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and allows guns to be removed from people found to pose a threat to themselves or others.
In Defeat for Conservationists, Court Rules Florida May Spend Trust Fund Money Liberally
An appeals court Monday overturned a circuit judge’s ruling that said Florida lawmakers improperly diverted money that flowed from a 2014 constitutional amendment designed to boost land and water conservation.
Appeals Judges Punt on State Medical Pot Controls and Ask Florida Supreme Court to Decide
The 1st District Court of Appeal asked the Florida Supreme Court to decide whether the state’s “vertical integration” system of requiring licensed operators to grow, process and distribute cannabis and derivative products runs afoul of a constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana in Florida.