Florida's Latest News

Fiona McFarland bill addressing post-penny cash transactions clears first House committee

A proposal by Sarasota Republican Rep. Fiona McFarland establishing cash-rounding rules for Florida retailers now that the penny is no longer minted has cleared its first House committee stop.

The House Ways & Means Committee unanimously approved HB 951, advancing legislation that outlines how businesses should handle in-person cash transactions when exact change cannot be made using 1-cent coins.

The bill does not eliminate the penny or prohibit businesses from accepting it. Instead, it sets standardized rounding rules for cash purchases now that the 1-cent piece is no longer in production if retailers are unable to complete transactions to the exact cent.

New on Monday was an amendment that makes rounding “permissive,” outlines protocol for mixed-tender transactions, and gives a provision for secondary metal recyclers where they can round up to the nearest nickel.

Wilton Simpson: USDA should declare Florida disaster due to cold blast, help farmers

As Florida is in the grips of a cold blast that plunged temperatures into the 20s in large swaths of the state, appeals for federal relief for affected farmers are already underway.

Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson sent a request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeking a Disaster Declaration for Florida counties impacted by the so-called “bomb cyclone” Winter storm. The system slammed areas of the country from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic Region and deep into the South.

“Florida’s producers are taking every possible step to protect their operations, but the severity of this storm will result in losses that require swift federal action,” Simpson said in his letter to Brooke Rollins, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

Snow was recorded in several North Florida counties Saturday night heading into Sunday. Temperatures plummeted to 23 degrees at the National Weather Service (NWS) station at Jacksonville International Airport. The Tallahassee station recorded a 22-degree reading.

Gov. DeSantis appoints Panhandle lawyer Oscar Locklin to Pensacola State College board

The Pensacola State College District Board of Trustees is getting a new member.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he’s appointed Oscar Locklin to the panel.

The eight members of the Board of Trustees are ” charged with appointing and evaluating the performance of the President as the Chief Executive Officer of the college, responsible for the day-to-day operation and management of the College,” the Panhandle school’s website said.

The college has six campuses in the Panhandle area. An estimated 26,000 students are enrolled in the school.

Locklin is a lawyer with extensive community involvement in the Pensacola area. He’s a shareholder in the law firm of Locklin, Saba, Locklin and Jones. He’s well-versed in litigation in real estate, wills and trusts and probate law.

Locklin is also a member of the Santa Rosa Education Foundation Board of Directors. That panel oversees the foundation and identifies educational needs in Santa Rosa County, and encourages engagement from the local business community.

Medicaid expansion campaign in Florida relaunches for 2028

A Medicaid expansion campaign is relaunching a push to get its proposed measure on the 2028 ballot, despite its continuing legal battle against a Florida law restricting the process to amend the state's constitution.

The group, Florida Decides Healthcare, in September delayed its campaign for the 2026 ballot, saying HB 1205's roadblocks made it "nearly impossible" to succeed in a shorter timeline. But starting Feb. 1, they'll launch a digital campaign and send out mail with prepaid return envelopes for voters looking to sign a petition.

They're hopeful that 2028 will be successful against the hurdles from Florida's new laws, and especially because they believe they'll be successful at trial, said Mitch Emerson, the executive director of Florida Decides Healthcare. The trial for their challenge to Florida's law is scheduled to start Feb. 9.

"The state crossed constitutional lines, and what Florida did here violates the First Amendment rights of Floridians to participate in the constitutional amendment process," Emerson said. "Every win (against) HB 1205 is a step in the right direction for democracy."