Florida

(The Center Square) – Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody again sounded the alarm Thursday over illicit fentanyl flooding into the state from Mexico.

She was joined by Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass and Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods to discuss Florida’s efforts to combat it.

Moody said law enforcement in Florida are identifying drugs that have ended up in Florida directly linked to Mexican cartels. The border crisis “is an untenable situation,” she said, “one in which America has never had to face until the last few years.”

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) TrophyCatch program has deployed bright pink research tags in bass across five waters throughout the state: the Northwest Winter Haven Chain of Lakes, Lake Lochloosa, Lake Beauclair, Lake Okeechobee and Porter Lake. Each of the tags is on a trophy bass weighing 8 pounds or more. Designed to provide valuable data about bass movements and growth rates, these conspicuous pink tags offer one other unique advantage: special prizing for the angler who catches, cuts and properly reports the tag.

(The Center Square) — Florida lawmakers have advanced legislation this week that would add transparency to lobbying in the Sunshine State.

Senate Bill 734 is sponsored by state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill. It would make various changes to ethics regulations for local governments and prohibit state and local officials from accepting or soliciting anything from a foreign country of concern.

Since 2019, Florida has invested more than $50 million dedicated to manatee protection and care 

(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.

OCALA, FL (Jan. 30, 2024) — The College of Central Florida presents “The 2024 CF Student Art Exhibition,” an annual event showcasing the talents of students from its Visual Arts and Digital Media programs. The exhibition will be on display Monday, March 25-Tuesday, April 30 at the CF Webber Gallery, 3001 S.W. College Road at the CF Ocala Campus.