Florida's Latest News

Zimmer Starts Gaming Post

A former Kansas lottery chief is the new executive director of the Florida Gaming Control Commission. The commission this month unanimously selected Alana Zimmer, and the job began Thursday. Zimmer, who most recently worked as executive director of the Kansas City Automotive Museum, replaced Joe Dillmore, who served as the commission’s active executive director since August. Dillmore has been with the regulatory agency since its inception in 2022. Zimmer “brings extensive leadership in government relations, public administration, strategic operations, communication, marketing across both public and private sectors,” commission Vice Chairwoman Julie Brown said during an Oct. 16 meeting. Zimmer oversaw a $30 million capital campaign at the Kansas City auto museum and helped “modernize systems” as commissioner of the Kansas Lottery, according to Brown.

Lawmakers rev up safety rules for e-bikes with new bill

Two Republican lawmakers want to implement stricter safety laws around the use of motorized scooters and electric motorcycles.

Naples Rep. Yvette Benarroch and St. Johns Rep. Kim Kendall have introduced a measure (HB 243) that seeks to strengthen Florida’s traffic safety laws by integrating electric bicycles, motorized scooters and electric motorcycles into the state’s regulatory framework.

Under the legislation, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) would be required to maintain a separate database of crash statistics involving tandem-trailer trucks, motorized scooters, electric bicycles, and electric motorcycles to support future policy development and public safety initiatives.

Law enforcement officers would be responsible for long- and short-form crash reports, which must include whether the crash involved an electric bicycle, motorized scooter, or electric motorcycle.

The bill would also implement penalties for those who make modifications, making it illegal to tamper with or modify an electric bicycle to alter its speed or motor engagement. 

Changes in Law School Accreditation Eyed

A panel appointed by Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muniz issued a report this week that offered a series of possible ideas for moving away from what it described as the American Bar Association’s “near monopoly” on accrediting law schools.

In most cases, Florida requires people to graduate from accredited law schools to be eligible to take the bar exam to practice law. The American Bar Association has served as the accreditor for decades.

The report, issued Monday, said supporters of keeping the current system “argue that ABA accreditation safeguards a baseline of educational quality and support.” But the report said critics contend standards set by an ABA council are “ill-conceived, stifling competition, innovation and access, while intruding on law schools’ self-governance and imposing ideological mandates.”

One of the issues has been whether the ABA accreditation process is trying to require diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at law schools — a hot-button topic for political conservatives in Florida and other states.

Bill Backs Black History Museum

A Senate Republican on Thursday filed a proposal that would move forward with creating a Florida Museum of Black History in St. Johns County. Sen. Tom Leek, an Ormond Beach Republican whose district includes St. Johns County, filed the bill (SB 308) for consideration during the 2026 legislative session, which will start in January. The Senate unanimously passed a similar bill during the 2025 session, but the House did not approve it. Lawmakers in 2023 created a task force to provide recommendations for a Black history museum. The task force recommended putting the museum in St. Johns County.