‘Freedom Week’ to offer sales tax breaks
Florida is about to find out how much a week of sales-tax “freedom” translates into capitalism.
Starting Thursday, in what lawmakers dubbed “Freedom Week,” people will receive sales-tax breaks when they make a wide range of purchases that could help spur them to be more active after being limited by the coronavirus pandemic.
Judge upholds ban on gun sales to people under 21
California bans travel to Florida, four other states
California added five more states, including Florida, to the list of places where state-funded travel is banned because of laws that discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community, the state attorney general announced Monday.
Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta added Florida, Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia to the list that now has 17 states where state employee travel is forbidden except under limited circumstances.
Telehealth could suffer as order expires
Florida health-care providers are going back in time.
The growing emergence of telehealth, or telemedicine, as a way to deliver health care has been a silver lining during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Surfside condo collapse could lead to legislation
State and federal legislation could be proposed to address construction or engineering issues after the deadly condominium-building collapse in Surfside, where crews continued to search the rubble Monday.
Addressing reporters, Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said they await information from forensic investigations that are proceeding alongside search-and-rescue operations at the Champlain Towers South, which collapsed early Thursday.
Budget, bevy of laws ready to take effect
More than 100 new laws passed during the 2021 legislative session will hit the books this week, ranging from a record $100 billion state budget to a ban on COVID-19 vaccine “passports” and an expansion of school vouchers.
Also taking effect are two measures from the 2020 session, including a law that will allow college athletes to make money off the field based on their names, images and likenesses.
Biden approves federal aid after condo collapse
By the numbers: Jobless claims by state
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday released a report estimating that 6,792 unemployment claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended June 19. Here are numbers of claims filed in other states during the week:
— California: 64,714
— Pennsylvania: 44,112
DeSantis says answers in collapse will take time
By the numbers: Third-grade scores by county
The Florida Department of Education on Tuesday released a report showing that 54 percent of third-grade students this year scored “satisfactory” or above on the state English-language arts exam. Here are percentages of students in each county that scored “satisfactory” or above:
— St. Johns: 78 percent
— Baker: 68 percent