(The Center Square) — The Sunshine State is quickly outpacing the rest of the country as a top solar energy installer, which looks to continue in coming years.
According to data from the Solar Energy Industries Association, Florida was ranked third in the country in 2022 behind Texas and California, installing around 12,000 megawatts of generation capacity since 2013, enough to power 1.51 million homes.
(The Center Square) – Taxpayers in St. Petersburg are next to see if their dollars put to use for a major sports stadium reap the benefits as promised.
The executive director of the nonprofit group Florida Taxwatch and an economics professor at Temple University say it's not always the case.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Governor Ron DeSantis and members of the Florida Cabinet approved rules to implement several provisions of the Prescription Drug Reform Act (SB 1550). The rules approved increase accountability among pharmaceutical middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).
(The Center Square) – The Tampa Bay Rays will reportedly announce plans Tuesday for a new $1.2 billion domed stadium that could cost up to $600 million in public funds.
The domed stadium would have 30,000 seats, be located near Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg’s 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District and be ready to open in 2028, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reminds residents and visitors that our state’s black bears are more active in search of food as autumn approaches.
(The Center Square) — There will be some changes to committee assignments when the Florida Legislature reconvenes in January.
Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, has announced new committee assignments ahead of the start of interim committee meetings on Sept. 18. Lawmakers can start filing bills on Monday.
(The Center Square) — Florida’s Medicaid enrollment continue to decline, according to recent data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on health policy, research and polling.
According to data from the Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker, the number of people on Medicaid in the Sunshine State declined 7% from April to July, shrinking from 5.78 million to 5.36 million.
(The Center Square) — Despite being hit by Category 3 Hurricane Idalia, gas prices in Florida have decreased by five cents going into the Labor Day weekend.
The average gas price in Florida was $3.69 per gallon of regular according to the American Automobile Association, down from $3.75 last week but four cents more than last month. The national average is $3.83.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is seeking public input on new recommendations for snook recreational fishing regulations. The FWC is adopting a holistic management approach for snook that includes a review of several environmental and human factors such as habitat, fishing effort and stakeholder feedback to evaluate the fishery at a more local scale.
Newly released data and recent public feedback suggest additional regulation changes may be warranted.
(The Center Square) — An extension of Florida’s red snapper season begins Labor Day weekend and could be one of the longest since the state took over management of the tasty game fish.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Aug. 11 that the red snapper season would be extended by 17 days to 87 days, according to a statement released by the governor’s office.
Florida’s fall red snapper season runs every Friday through Sunday through the months of September, October and November, with open days on Labor Day (Sept. 4) and Thanksgiving (Nov. 23).
