(The Center Square) — Florida school students will have more assistance with subjects such as reading and math after the Florida House passed two new bills this week.
House Bill 1403 is sponsored by state Rep. Josie Tomkow, R-Polk City. It would increase the growth rate of the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities scholarship program from 3% to 5%, then automatically by 1% based on demand.
(The Center Square) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Thursday that he is ordering reinforcements from the Sunshine State to the southern border.
During a news conference Thursday, DeSantis said Florida will be fortifying its presence along the southern border by providing a battalion of the Florida National Guard, as well as a deployment of the Florida State Guard, the first time this organization has been used outside the Sunshine State.
(The Center Square) – The cost of pre-paying tuition and other expenses for colleges and state universities is going down.
The Florida Prepaid College Board, effective Thursday, lowered the monthly cost of the plans by up to 25%, a release says. This year’s enrollment plan runs through April 30.
The Center Square) – Florida driver’s licenses and other state government documents would have to list a person’s gender at birth under a bill pending in the House of Representatives.
House Bill 1639 was sponsored by Republican Rep. Doug Bankson, who helped found and is a pastor with his wife at Victory Church in Apopka.
The legislation would also require insurance companies that cover sex transitioning surgery to also cover detransitioning surgery.
“I call it the Compassion and Clarity Act,” the legislator told The Center Square.
(The Center Square) — Gov. Ron DeSantis highlighted the state's historic investment in semiconductor manufacturing in the Sunshine State on Friday.
"We have a lot of exciting things going on in the state of Florida if you look at where we are in things like aerospace, aviation, military and defense, transportation logistics, we are really, really leading the way across a lot of different industries," DeSantis said.
(The Center Square) — Ex-offenders in Florida could have an easier time gaining work licenses, permits and other certifications after a new bill passed through committee on Monday.
(The Center Square) – A top health care official in Florida is accusing the Biden administration of "targeting" the state for Medicaid audits as a political jab against Florida Gov. Ron Desantis.
Jason Weida, secretary of Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration, pointed to emails obtained by Wyoming nonprofit Government Accountability & Oversight that he says show the federal government singled out three red states – Florida, Texas, and Missouri – for audits over alleged misuse of Medicaid funds.
(The Center Square) — Florida lawmakers want to alleviate the state's growing affordable housing shortage by fixing some of the shortfalls in the Live Local Act of 2023.
The bill passed unanimously with the Senate Committee on Community Affairs on Jan. 9 and was due before the Senate Committee on Fiscal Policy on Thursday, however, it was temporarily delayed. No new meeting date has been posted on the state Senate's website.
(The Center Square) — Several bills related to property taxes and homestead exemptions were taken up this week by the Florida House’s Ways & Means Committee.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is gathering public feedback on proposed changes to the bay scallop season for the Pasco Zone. The Pasco Zone currently has a 10-day season in rule but a longer, trial season was set by executive order in 2023 to assess whether extending the season would balance resource sustainability with community interests. Based on public feedback and the outcome of this recent season, staff are recommending establishing a 40-day season, beginning July 10 through Aug. 18, in rule for future seasons in the Pasco Zone.
