Progressive civic groups have challenged how four congressional districts and seven state House districts in South Florida were drawn by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature.

A judge says that a Florida redistricting plan pushed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis violates the state constitution.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Friday to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling drew fiercely polarized reactions in Florida, with Gov. Ron DeSantis saying the state will “work to expand pro-life protections.”

Former Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee on Tuesday joined a growing Republican field of candidates in the redrawn Congressional District 15, which covers parts of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties.

A judge’s ruling that a new congressional map drawn by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ staff is unconstitutional has been appealed by the state.

That deadline involves a law requiring a 72-hour “cooling off” period before lawmakers can vote on the completed budget.

House and Senate negotiators agreed Wednesday night to use $200 million in federal stimulus money to give Gov. Ron DeSantis part of his request for a gas tax break, as they wrapped up more of a budget that will send the annual legislative session into overtime.

Gov. DeSantis has indicated that he is in favor of the measure.

Florida doctors could soon be prohibited from performing abortions past 15 weeks of pregnancy, after the Republican-controlled Senate approved a bill Thursday night that is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk.

Florida doctors could soon be prohibited from performing abortions past 15 weeks of pregnancy, after the Republican-controlled Senate approved a bill Thursday night that is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk.

The Florida Senate is on the verge of passing a bill that would prohibit doctors from performing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, one of the most bitterly disputed issues of the 2022 legislative session.

The Florida Senate on Wednesday moved the state closer to a ban on abortions after 15 weeks.

The Florida Senate Rules Committee on Monday teed up a new 15-week abortion ban for a vote by the full Senate, where the measure is almost certainly going be approved and sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

A proposal that would prevent doctors from performing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy got initial backing Wednesday in the Senate, as Republicans rejected an amendment that would have made exceptions for victims of rape and incest.

A controversial bill that would shorten the time period for a woman to have an abortion in Florida cleared its first committee on Wednesday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis voiced support Wednesday morning for a Republican-led bill that would ban most abortions in Florida after 15 weeks of pregnancy and signaled that he would sign it if it landed on his desk.

A wide-ranging education bill that includes a controversial provision to ban transgender female athletes from competing on high-school girls’ and college women’s sports teams was formally sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis Friday.

Florida Republicans moved to ban transgender girls and women from playing on public school teams intended for student athletes born as girls, sending the proposal to Gov. Ron DeSantis and escalating a national culture war over transgender rights.

The Florida Senate on Monday passed legislation requiring social media companies to publish standards for use and abide by them when it comes to de-platforming users.

A controversial bill that would ban transgender females from playing on girls’ and women’s high-school and college sports teams has hit a roadblock in the Florida Senate.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Bills have been filed in 25 states across the country, including Florida, seeking to ban transgender women from competing in women’s school sports. The legislation, which would prevent transgender women from competing in women’s sports, follows multiple instances of transgender athletes winning titles in state and national competitions. The House version of the bill would ban transgender women from competing in women’s sports outright, whereas the Senate version would allow transgender athletes to compete provided they maintain a low testosterone level. AdEskamani said even though there are some restrictions in place for transgender athletes on the professional stage, she believes policies concerning children and student-athletes should be treated differently. In Connecticut, there is an ongoing federal lawsuit challenging whether allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports violates Title IX, a federal civil rights law that aims to shield people from gender-based discrimination.

TALLAHASSEE – Now that President Joe Biden has signed the American Rescue Plan, Florida lawmakers must decide how to spend $10 billion in federal COVID relief funds. “A lot of our ongoing budget challenges are non-recurring,” said Senate Budget Chair Kelli Stargel. These are recurring expenses and that influx of money is non-recurring funds. The governor has suggested lawmakers set the state budget at $96.6 billion, more than $4 billion higher than the current budget. Even with the new federal funds, lawmakers have remained skeptical of such a large increase.

TALLAHASSEE – Privacy from big tech is high on legislative priorities this year, but lawmakers are also pushing legislation that would shield voter registration data and their own personal information from the public record. This is the second year legislation to shield state lawmakers’ and cabinet members’ home address, phone number and date of birth from the public record has been filed. The First Amendment Foundation argues shielding lawmakers’ addresses from the public eye would make it harder to ensure officials live in the districts they represent. “It’s impossible for the public to really know if there’s any conflicts of interest,” said Virginia Hamrick, an attorney with FAF. Another bill filed this year would shield registered voters’ emails, addresses, date of birth and phone numbers.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Transportation is expecting major budget losses in the coming years as a result of the pandemic. When asked what areas might be facing cuts to make up for pandemic revenue losses, Senate Budget Chair Kelli Stargel was blunt. That includes the rise of electric vehicles, which will mean less revenue from taxes on gasoline, the primary source of revenue for the Department of Transportation. So whether cuts are made to transportation or another sector, tough decisions lie ahead. The Department of Transportation said despite the loss of revenue, it will prioritize safety and preservation related projects.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – State lawmakers, advised this week about limited tax dollars amid the COVID-19 pandemic, have already proposed 43 hometown projects worth more than $45 million. In most years, lawmakers approve a couple of hundred local projects in the state budget, though the governor has line-item veto power to eliminate spending. When legislators last year sent a $93.2 billion budget to Gov. In slashing $1 billion from the budget in June to reduce spending amid the pandemic, DeSantis vetoed $264 million worth of those projects. A year earlier, about $270 million for 440 local projects made the final budget, after DeSantis used his line-item veto to cut more than 160 proposals, worth $130 million.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – State lawmakers are facing a $2.1 billion pandemic-induced budget shortfall for the budget starting in July, and that’s the best-case scenario, according to state economists. The revenue shortfall means lawmakers will face tough decisions crafting next year’s state budget. While state economists project a $2.1 billion shortfall, the number is heavily dependent on how the economy recovers, something difficult to project in a once in a lifetime pandemic. State economists predict it could take between one and two years. State economists’ latest projections are largely based on data from November and September.

The “Parents Bill of Rights” legislation passed by a Senate committee Monday lists a wide range of rights parents have over their children. “The bill is covering rights the parents already have, which is why it's unnecessary, except for the additional language,” said Lakey Love with the Florida National Organization for Women. But LGBTQ groups protested the bill ahead of the hearing, arguing its language is overly broad. They also fear it would make it easier for parents to object to nearly anything taught in schools. “Things like civil rights or LGBTQ rights or anything like even history on the Holocaust,” Maurer said.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Time ran short Tuesday, delaying a vote in a Senate health-care panel on a controversial bill that would require minors to get parental consent before having abortions. The Senate Health Policy Committee met for 90 minutes to discuss the bill (SB 404), but Democrats on the panel proposed 15 amendments. While the committee didn't take public testimony on the bill, the meeting drew supporters and opponents to the Senate. Senate Health Policy Chairwoman Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, said she will put the parental-consent measure on the committee's agenda when it meets again next month. Along with the Health Policy Committee, the bill would need to go to the Senate Judiciary and Rules committees before it could get a vote in the full Senate.

The Senate Health Policy Committee is scheduled Tuesday to consider the bill (SB 404), filed by Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland. The House passed a parental-consent bill during the 2019 session, but the proposal died in the Senate. Stargel's bill and a House version (HB 265) are filed for the 2020 session, which starts in January. Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, also said last week he supports a parental-consent requirement. If ultimately passed, the proposal would ban physicians from performing abortions on minors unless the physicians receive notarized, written parental consent or court orders waiving the parental consent requirement.