A Republican state senator claimed Friday that state agencies misused millions of dollars in taxpayer money on a campaign to sway Floridians to vote “no” on Amendment 3, which would legalize the personal use of marijuana for those 21 years and older.

A Republican state senator claimed Friday that state agencies misused millions of dollars in taxpayer money on a campaign to sway Floridians to vote “no” on Amendment 3, which would legalize the personal use of marijuana for those 21 years and older.

Amid a debate about the role of government and parental rights, the Florida Senate on Thursday passed a bill that seeks to keep children under the age of 16 off social media platforms.

A bill that would be one of the nation’s most restrictive bans on minors’ use of social media is heading to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

A bill designed to crack down on illegal street racing in Florida is one step closer to a vote on the Senate floor.

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says he wants lawmakers to change Washington this year.

Florida will require statewide recertification of condominiums over three stories tall under new legislation Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law.

Street takeovers to perform car stunts like doughnuts, drifting and burnouts could become illegal in Florida.

Officials say a banking error has caused dozens of Florida teachers to see their state-issued $1,000 bonus checks bounce.

Florida lawmakers gave final approval Thursday night to a bill that would make permanent a ban on COVID-19 vaccine “passports,” while also handing Gov. Ron DeSantis power to override local orders during health crises and directing state agencies to plan for future pandemics.

Legislation that would increase penalties against violent protestors is heading for a vote in the Florida Senate.

Nearly 33,000 Florida inmates say they want a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Florida Department of Health. Public health officials say they intend to offer the vaccine to state prisoners within the next two weeks.

Senate President Wilton Simpson said Thursday he will use a procedural maneuver to ensure that a controversial law-and-order proposal pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis starts moving in the Senate.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – There is fallout at the state Capitol over the plan to start collecting the tax due on internet sales. Florida’s labor unions argue working people would pay the tax, while businesses would reap the benefit. The vote was bipartisan, with seven Democrats joining Republicans to begin collecting the sales tax on internet purchases from out-of-state merchants. AdFlorida and Missouri are the only two states with a sales tax that does not actively collect the tax from out-of-state merchants. But House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, believes that lowering what businesses pay would help workers.

With the number of weeks left before the Legislature's schedule adjournment in the final week of April, lawmakers also are beginning to tackle the state budget with more urgency. But proposals like the anti-riot bill are consuming much of the air in the Florida statehouse this session. The measure could spawn an interesting dynamic in the state Senate, where it has yet to get a hearing. The House passed the measure Friday, with the Republican majority arguing that the measure was needed to preserve law and order. Another House committee is taking up a proposal that would abolish the state’s Constitution Revision Commission.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Senate and House are split on how to respond to the civil unrest spurred by the death of George Floyd last year. Pizzo, who chairs the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, is sponsoring the policing reform package. The police reform bill is being held up in the House by the prime co-sponsor of the anti-rioting legislation. Likewise, the anti-rioting bill is being blocked in the Senate by the sponsor of the police reform bill. House Criminal Justice Chair Cord Byrd is skeptical of the police reforms proposed in the Senate.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The governor’s top legislative priority, a bill increasing penalties for violent protestors, could be in trouble because of a lack of support from law enforcement. “DeSantis’s anti-protest bill attempts threatens us into submission with ridiculous prison sentences,” Jalen Blocker, a student at Florida State University, said. “I just don’t know they have the votes on that committee,” said Brandes. “Oh, I don’t think that’s going to be an issue,” he said. AdThe Democratic Caucus in the Florida House voted Thursday to oppose the House version of the bill, meaning all 42 Democrats will likely vote against it.

AdSpecifically, Visit Florida believes an estimated 3.236 million overseas visitors is about 400,000 too high. The hospitality and leisure industries handled 82.315 million visitors in 2010 and 87.307 million in 2011. “No one is going to argue that tourism is not the largest industry in the state of Florida. Visit Florida is not one of those vital roles, “Suderman said. According to the Visit Florida numbers, the state drew an estimated 20.62 million visitors in the fourth quarter of 2020, down 33.1 percent from the prior year.

But just a fraction of the so-called “returning citizens” targeted by the measure will be able to participate in the Nov. 3 presidential election. “The Legislature purposely set up a system that was designed for voter suppression, and it has worked,” Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, a former Democratic state senator, told The News Service of Florida. The 11th Circuit’s decision means that felons must clear up financial obligations to be legally eligible to register and vote. The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition has amassed more than $23 million for its “Fines and Fees” fund aimed at zeroing out felons' financial obligations. It’s unclear, however, how many felons have registered to vote since the amendment went into effect in January 2019.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The Florida Democratic Party applied for and received $780,000 from the Payroll Protection Program, but the party should not have applied in the first place. Criticism for accepting the PPP money has come from both inside and outside the Democratic Party. In a statement, the Florida Democratic Party said, in part: The bank, the loan processor and agents of the Small Business Association approved the funding. I really wish that the Trump administration was as responsive when it came to actually funding PPP, said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried, the lone statewide elected Democrat. At least one Tallahassee lobbying firm has also returned PPP money.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – There are new calls for the state to quickly pay unemployment claims now and worry about the legitimacy of the claims later. Statistics released on Friday show the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity continues to see more claims than it is paying. “Pay the damn claims — pay them," said State Sen. Perry Thurston. “It can be fixed with a stroke of a pen by the governor via executive order,” said State Sen. Gary Farmer. "We have people who will testify that they were instructed that if someone calls and they can’t pay the rent, can’t pay the mortgage, to tell people to call the emergency number of the United Way,” attorney Gautier Kitchen said.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Schools could soon stock up on naloxone -- an antidote for people who overdose on opioids, such as heroin -- under a proposal unanimously approved by the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday. Under the bill, schools would be allowed to enter into an agreement with a wholesale distributor or manufacturer to ensure they are getting naloxone at a fair price. During Tuesday's committee meeting, Pizzo said he is aware of a number of vendors willing to donate naloxone to schools. The proposal (SB 120) would require school officials to keep the drug in secure locations on school campuses. Before being allowed to administer the drug, school employees would have to be trained to recognize an opioid overdose and follow a protocol developed by a physician.