Florida's Latest News

House panel approves bill requiring cursive writing instruction in Florida schools

Cursive may have fallen by the wayside, but Florida lawmakers want to bring it back — starting with a signature from Gov. Ron DeSantis.

A bill (HB 127) unanimously approved by the House Education and Employment Committee Thursday would require second to fifth graders at public and charter schools receive cursive writing instruction.

The measure co-sponsored by Rep. Dana Trabulsy, a Fort Pierce Republican, comes as multiple studies have shown that handwriting, especially cursive, is beginning to fade away in schools in favor of artificial intelligence and keyboards.

Trabulsy acknowledged that before she co-sponsored the bill, she presumed many people no longer wrote in cursive, a skill she said was important.

“We’re in a digital age right now,” Trabulsy said in a presentation to the committee. “We’ve really lost sight of our foundational skills that connect us to our history and sharpen our minds. If our students can’t read cursive, they can’t read the Declaration of Independence, they can’t read the U.S. Constitution or even a grandparent’s hand-written letter.”

Statewide efforts bolster Florida’s health care workforce

As Florida’s population continues to grow and demand for health care services rises, hospitals across the state are reporting significant advancements in strengthening the Sunshine State’s health care workforce.

The newly released 2025 Annual Workforce Report from the Florida Hospital Association (FHA) shows hospitals have added nearly 65,000 jobs since 2020, while sharply reducing vacancy and turnover rates for nurses and allied health care professionals.

Registered nurse vacancy rates have dropped 52%, and turnover rates are down 47% since 2022. During the same timeframe, allied health professional vacancy rates have fallen to 21%, and turnover rates have been cut nearly in half, though shortages remain in specific high-demand roles.

The report follows Governor Ron DeSantis’ announcement this week that Florida has invested $485 million in nursing education programs. The announcement, according to the FHA, demonstrates the state’s commitment to building a strong health care workforce.

Florida House moves along proposal to cut property taxes

As the Florida Senate continues to ponder an approach to lowering property taxes, House committees on Thursday advanced two tax-cut proposals that could go before voters.

The Republican-dominated House Ways & Means Committee voted mostly along party lines to approve a proposed constitutional amendment (HJR 203) that, if approved by 60 percent of voters in November, would phase out non-school homestead property taxes over the next decade. The proposal drew objections from Democrats and local-government officials concerned that homestead property-tax cuts could lead to decreasing services and shifting the tax burden to renters and businesses.

Rep. Monique Miller, a Palm Bay Republican who is sponsoring the proposal, said it is intended to give local governments time to adjust to the eventual elimination of non-school property taxes. It would be phased in by gradually raising the homestead tax exemption.

“I believe that this is going to give everybody an opportunity to live within their means, and I think they’ll be able to deliver their core services without any problems given the change in budget,” Miller said.

Will Robinson proposal restoring alcohol excise tax deductions clears first House committee

A bill restoring long-standing excise tax deductions for alcohol distributors cleared its first House committee stop without opposition.

The House Ways & Means Committee unanimously approved HB 1137, sponsored by Bradenton Republican Rep. Will Robinson. The bill would codify deductions for alcohol that is broken, spoiled, evaporated, expired, or otherwise rendered unsellable before reaching consumers.

Robinson told committee members that the proposal restores a practice that had been in place for roughly four decades before being invalidated last Fall on procedural grounds.

He said the rule was nullified in November after a review determined the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, which is part of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), lacked explicit statutory authority to allow the deductions, but that the finding was unrelated to the substance of the policy itself.

“House Bill 1137 codifies, in my view, a noncontroversial DBPR rule that has existed for 40 years, allowing for alcohol excise tax deductions for broken or spoiled products,” Robinson told the committee Thursday.