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Blaise Ingoglia distributes millions to Gulf Coast, Central Florida fire agencies

Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia distributed a collective $14 million to about a dozen fire departments and agencies on Thursday.

Ingoglia, who also serves as Florida Fire Marshal, held a news conference at a Hillsborough County fire station and presented the checks to firefighters in departments across the Gulf Coast and Central Florida. The funds come from the state’s Firefighter Cancer Decontamination Grant Program and the Firefighter Assistance Grant Program, he said.

“We do not forget about our first responders. We do not leave them out in the field,” Ingoglia said. “They are the backbone of our communities here in Florida.”

Ingoglia acknowledged that today’s firefighters face more chemical threats than ever before, and first responders risk contracting cancer more than most people realize.

But he also stressed that some of the funding is going to help firefighters recover from post-traumatic stress.

Gov. DeSantis signs first bills of 2026 Session, OKs 2 measures to protect environment

Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a pair of measures to protect Florida’s coastline, marking the first new laws emerging from the 2026 Legislative Session.

“We have some of the best beaches in the world in the state of Florida and something that we are very proud of,” DeSantis said in Bradenton as he signed SB 302 and HB 1417 during a news conference. “It also requires that we be good stewards of it and that sometimes requires that you put your money where your mouth is.”

SB 302 blocks developers from building a cruise terminal at Manatee County’s Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve, which is home to mangrove forests and freshwater and saltwater wetlands.

“There’s not really a need to add another port in the middle of a conserved area and aquatic preserve, especially given that Tampa Bay is already home to three deep water ports, including Seaport Manatee,” DeSantis said. “Construction of a new port next door, I think, struck a lot of people as being unnecessary.”

Successful K-12 proposals address teacher shortages, safety, unions

Addressing teacher shortages, expanding school safety, and changing how unions operate are among the K-12 initiatives the Florida Legislature passed this session.

House Bill 561 received bipartisan support in the Senate and House of Representatives. It makes reinstatement easier for expiring teaching certificates and expands the use of temporary teaching certificates by allowing teachers with expired certifications to use a temporary certificate while finishing requirements.

“Educators whose certificates have expired face an unclear path to get certified,” said Rep. Anne Gerwig, R-Wellington. “It can also be quite costly to get the credits required. Teachers that have left the profession but want to return, are a great resource.”

The bill does away with a requirement for teachers to pass a subject area exam for each subject included on their certificate if they have already demonstrated mastery of the subject area. The Department of Education will likely experience a loss of revenue as subject area exams cost about $150 each. A fiscal analysis estimated a $52,650 drop in fee revenue.

Florida’s school safety laws are expanded under House Bill 757. The bill extends the armed Guardian Program to include colleges and universities.

2 more candidates enter Hillsborough school board race

Two more candidates have entered the District 2 school board race that will take place this November.

The seat is currently held by Stacy Hahn, who has filed for County Commission. In mid-February, longtime educator Daniela Daniela Simic filed to run. Since then, Chris Taylor, an executive at an equity company, former teacher and school administrator; and Brittany Lyssy, an attorney and public policy professional have also filed.

Here are the candidates.

Lyssy is a graduate of the University of Florida and Stetson University College of Law and is pursuing a Ph.D. in public policy, with a focus on education policy.

She also serves on the city of Tampa’s Citizens Advisory Budget and Finance Committee, and said she hopes to bring more accountability to district spending.