Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, tabled his proposed sanctuary-city ban after facing bipartisan opposition to the measure aimed at requiring local governments to comply with federal immigration laws.
Florida Legislature
1st Round in New Session’s Vacation Rental Saga Goes Against Flagler Government
A Senate committee approved a bill that would nearly eliminate local government regulation of vacation rentals and enable a single licensee to have hundreds of rentals across the state.
Judge Lets Smokable Pot Case Go Forward, Rejecting State’s Motion to Dismiss
The suit challenges a state law, passed during a special legislative session last year, that bans medical-pot patients from smoking marijuana.
In the Name of the Father, the Son and Ammunition: Lawmakers Favor Guns in Churches
The Florida House and Senate have started moving forward with measures that would allow people with concealed-weapons licenses to carry guns on the grounds of churches and other religious institutions that include schools.
Hazing Death at Florida State Fraternity Prompts “Culture Change”
Andrew Coffey, 20, died from alcohol poisoning during an off-campus fraternity initiation on Nov. 3. Fraternity members were arrested.
Measure to Restore Voting Rights to 1.5 Million Florida Felons Goes on November Ballot
Voting rights of felons who have served their sentences, completed parole or probation and paid restitution would be automatically restored. Murderers and sex offenders would be excluded.
Address Florida’s Deadly Rail Crossings Now, During 2018 Session
Between 2011 and 2017, there were a total of 105 deaths on more than 350 miles of Florida East Coast Railway tracks, which also run through Bunnell. A rail safety bill needs legislative support.
Doctors Join Chorus Against Limits on Painkiller Prescriptions, But Lawmakers Push On
The proposal to set legal limits on prescribing for pain medication continued moving forward when it was unanimously approved by the House Appropriations Committee.
Ballot Measure Would Give Voters, Not Legislature, Final Say On Gambling’s Legality
The proposed constitutional amendment pits the state’s gambling industry against anti-gambling advocates in what is expected to be a high-dollar campaign before the fall election.
Florida House Readies to Pass “Sanctuary City” Ban as Election Year Winds Up
House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who is mulling a run for governor, is pushing the sanctuary-city ban that would impose stiff penalties on local governments that don;t enforce immigration laws.