Florida's Latest News

Targeting fentanyl, Gov. DeSantis signs controlled substances bill

In a news conference warning Floridians of the rising dangers of fentanyl in controlled substances, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a proposal to stiffen penalties on drug dealers.

The measure (HB 95), which takes effect Oct. 1, will broaden a prosecutor’s ability to pursue a first-degree murder charge against a dealer if a drug overdose leads to a person’s death. However, the Republican-led Legislature did not decriminalize fentanyl test strips during ping-pong negotiations over the controlled substance bill in the waning hours of the 2022 Session.

Under current law, a drug dealer may face the death penalty — or life in prison — if they sell a controlled substance that verifiably caused the death of a consumer. But prosecutors often struggle to convict in cases involving multiple controlled substances or alcohol.

The bill will lower the standard that prosecutors must meet to levy a capital offense against a dealer. The State Attorney will only have to show the drugs were a “substantial factor” in a person’s death.

As hurricane season nears, Florida lawmakers wrestle with battered property insurance market in special session

On the eve of hurricane season, Florida lawmakers are returning to the Capitol to try to stabilize a troubled property insurance market plagued by skyrocketing rates and a parade of companies dropping policies or going out of business.

Gov. Ron DeSantis says “we’re not going to accept anything less than a very significant package” of changes from lawmakers, who will gather Monday for a special session scheduled through Friday.

On the table could be higher costs for homeowners through a new deductible for roof-damage claims; changes to how much lawyers can collect in fees when fighting insurers; and a reworking of Citizens Property Insurance, the state-backed insurer of last resort for 850,000 Floridians, and whose numbers are expected to top 1 million soon.

Expiration of public health emergency, enhanced tax credits could surge state’s uninsured rolls

There’s a “perfect storm” brewing that could lead to hundreds of thousands of Florida residents losing their health insurance coverage, warned Florida Covering Kids & Families Program Director, Jodi Ray.

For the last 20 years, Ray has spearheaded efforts to lower the number of uninsured residents. But Ray warned Thursday that costs of health insurance premiums could soar by 53% for more than 2.5 million people if Congress does not make permanent the enhanced subsidies that were included in the American Rescue Plan.

Ray appeared at a press conference hosted by the advocacy group Protect Our Care and was joined by Congressman Charlie Crist, who declared he believe health care is a “right.” University of South Florida graduate student Rory Noonan, who is one of the 2,620,652 Florida residents on the federal health insurance exchange receiving tax credits to lower the costs of care, also attended.

Florida tourism sees record numbers in first quarter

Over 36 million people visited the Sunshine State during the first quarter of 2022, exceeding pre-COVID metrics and representing a 39 percent increase from the same period in 2021.

Florida has been a destination state for travelers coming out of COVID-19 restrictions, welcoming nearly 120 million domestic tourists in 2021, the highest level of domestic visitation in Florida’s history. The increased tourism brought in local economy boosts, marking all-time high revenues for hotels and property rentals.

Now, Florida seems set to shatter last year’s record, if the first quarter is any indication.

Last week, SeaWorld, which operates not only SeaWorld Orlando but also Busch Gardens in Tampa, reported increased attendance so far in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels, despite the fact that international travel to its U.S. locations remains suppressed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the company also noted its main attractions in other states like California and Virginia were severely hampered by COVID-19 restrictions. Despite those challenges, SeaWorld said attendance was 1.9% higher than 2019, the last full year before the pandemic began.