Florida News Archive

The Florida House on Wednesday passed a bill that would significantly expand eligibility for the state’s school-voucher programs. The measure (HB 7045) was approved in a 79-36 vote, largely along party lines. In part, it would consolidate the Gardiner and McKay scholarship programs, which serve students with special needs, with the Family Empowerment Scholarship program, which serves a broader population of low- to middle-income families.

A sharply divided appeals court Wednesday rejected a lawsuit alleging that a transgender woman faced illegal discrimination when she was asked to change seats at a Black Chippendales show because performers objected to her presence.

Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, held out hope that unemployment benefits can be increased after the House approved an unemployment-system revamp Wednesday that does not include boosting benefits.

As of Monday, more than 8.14 million people in Florida had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines. Here is a breakdown by age groups:

— Ages 16 to 24: 395,449 people

— Ages 25 to 34: 612, 238 people

Big winners of Florida lottery games could have three months to start spending the money before they are publicly identified, under a measure set for a vote Wednesday in the House.

Senate Republican leaders have dropped a perennially controversial effort to overhaul the state’s alimony laws, saying Tuesday they’ll take another stab at a revamp during next year’s legislative session.

House Republicans on Tuesday rejected Democratic efforts to increase unemployment assistance, days after Gov. Ron DeSantis opposed boosting benefits that are among the lowest in the nation.

An effort to allow people to carry guns at churches that share locations with schools is going to the Senate floor. The Rules Committee on Tuesday approved a measure (HB 259) that would allow people with concealed-weapons licenses to bring guns on properties shared by churches and schools. Florida law generally allows people to carry concealed weapons at churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious institutions, but it bars being armed on school properties.

A proposal that would make it more difficult for transgender female athletes to compete on girls’ and women’s high-school and college teams stalled Tuesday in a state Senate panel.

Flanked by uniformed law-enforcement officers, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed into law a controversial law-and-order measure sparked by nationwide protests that erupted last year after George Floyd’s death.

The law, which went into effect immediately, creates a new crime of “mob intimidation,” enhances riot-related penalties and makes it harder for local officials to reduce spending on law enforcement.