State

Gov. Ron DeSantis gave a State of the State address to start the 2022 legislative session. Tom Urban/File

Gov. Ron DeSantis gave a State of the State address to start the 2022 legislative session. Tom Urban/File

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10 big issues in the 2024 session

News Staff
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
Florida lawmakers will start the annual 60-day legislative session on Jan. 9, with Gov. Ron DeSantis giving his State of the State address.
Rep. Dana Trabulsy, R-Fort Pierce, chairs a House panel looking at the problem of chronic student absenteeism. File photo

Rep. Dana Trabulsy, R-Fort Pierce, chairs a House panel looking at the problem of chronic student absenteeism. File photo

Lawmakers look to curb student absenteeism

News Staff
Thursday, December 28, 2023
Florida lawmakers during the upcoming legislative session could look to address the problem of chronic absenteeism among public-school students. Data collected by the Florida Department of Education showed that 20.
Capitol building, Tallahassee. File photo

Capitol building, Tallahassee. File photo

Lawmakers look at recognizing tribes

News Staff
Wednesday, December 20, 2023
State recognition of three Native American tribes in the Panhandle has been proposed in the Florida House and the Senate for the 2024 legislative session. Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, on Tuesday filed a bill (SB 1010) similar to a measure, introduced in November by Rep.
The Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida. File photo

The Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida. File photo

Feds fire back in transit money fight, reject union targeting

News Staff
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
The Biden administration wants a federal judge to reject a lawsuit filed by Florida in a dispute about transit funding and a new state law that placed additional restrictions on public-employee unions. Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S.

House panel backs easing teen job rules

News Staff
Friday, December 15, 2023
A House panel Wednesday approved a proposal that would loosen regulations about the numbers of hours that 16-year-old and 17-year-old youths can work, rolling back parts of a decades-old child labor law.
House Appropriations Chairman Tom Leek, R-Ormond Beach, will be a key player in budget negotiations. Colin Hackley/File

House Appropriations Chairman Tom Leek, R-Ormond Beach, will be a key player in budget negotiations. Colin Hackley/File

Lawmakers start weighing DeSantis budget plan

News Staff
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
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.
Ron DeSantis. File photo

Ron DeSantis. File photo

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DeSantis proposes $114.4B State budget

News Staff
Thursday, December 7, 2023
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 salary increases and police recruitment bonuses.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Seminole Tribe of Florida Chairman Marcellus Osceola, Jr. reached a gambling deal in 2021. File photo

Gov. Ron DeSantis and Seminole Tribe of Florida Chairman Marcellus Osceola, Jr. reached a gambling deal in 2021. File photo

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State fires back in sports betting fight

News Staff
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
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 sports betting statewide, saying it does not violate a 2018 constitutional amendment that restricted casino gambling.
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments about the constitutionality of a 2021 Florida law that placed restrictions on large social-media companies. File photo

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments about the constitutionality of a 2021 Florida law that placed restrictions on large social-media companies. File photo

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Supreme Court urged to reject Florida teach law

News Staff
Friday, December 1, 2023
Arguing the law is “entirely incompatible with the First Amendment,” two industry groups Thursday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a ruling that blocked key parts of a 2021 Florida law placing restrictions on large social-media companies.