Florida News Archive

Gov. Ron DeSantis expressed opposition Friday to a Senate proposal that would increase unemployment benefits, as Florida’s jobless rate held steady at 4.7 percent in March.

Asked about a Senate bill that would increase maximum state benefits from $275 a week to $375 a week, DeSantis said his goal is to get people back to work.

“Increase benefits? Look, no, I mean, I think we’re getting people back to work,” DeSantis replied to a reporter during an appearance in Lakeland.

The Senate is expected Wednesday to take up a controversial elections package that would make it harder for people to vote by mail.

A bipartisan proposal to add hiring standards and bolster “use of force” training for police and correctional officers began moving forward Thursday in the House.

The Florida House on Wednesday passed a bill that would allow counties to spend so-called “bed” tax money on efforts to combat flooding, despite concerns from the tourism industry that the change would reduce marketing dollars.

The Florida Senate is poised to deliver one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ top legislative priorities, after spending hours Wednesday considering a controversial proposal that would create a new crime of “mob intimidation,” enhance penalties on riot-related offenses and make it harder for municipalities to trim spending on law enforcement.

A bill is ready to go to the Florida House that would require upgrading the state’s online unemployment system, which largely crashed last spring amid a crush of claims caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Northwest Florida attorney who drew national headlines by dressing as the Grim Reaper to criticize Gov. Ron DeSantis’ handling of the coronavirus pandemic is asking a judge to dismiss court proceedings seeking penalties for comments attributed to him in a news story.

The Florida House is poised to pass a measure that would bar transgender females from participating in girls’ and women’s high-school and college sports, amid fierce opposition from Democrats and warnings about potential financial repercussions.

A Senate proposal that would provide free online courses at state universities to people who have been out of college for five years is moving again after it was tabled last week. The measure (SB 1672) was approved unanimously Tuesday by the Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was recently vaccinated with the single-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, said Tuesday that Florida would halt the vaccine’s use following a recommendation from federal health authorities. DeSantis said he understood the need for caution because the vaccine was only approved for emergency use, but he added that he did not think Floridians need to worry.