Florida's Latest News

Florida Senate makes first appropriation of money to clean up Piney Point

State senators on Wednesday assigned $3 million to clean up the Piney Point phosphate plant, the first phase of a potential $200 million effort to permanently close the site that prompted evacuations in Manatee County over the weekend.

“We cannot stand idly by while this environmental hazard is dealt with,” said Sen. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg. “The funds that we’re appropriating will start us on a pathway to cleaning up what has been recognized as a true mess.”

Wednesday’s appropriation was a fraction of what could be a $200 million project to accomplish the “complete cleanup and closure” of the site. That’s how much Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, said this week he wants to spend, using federal pandemic relief dollars.

DeSantis wants $4 million for medical marijuana quality control testing

Florida’s medical marijuana industry could soon get a big payday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has asked the Legislature to beef up the Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use with more than $4 million in next year’s state budget, which includes funding to finally start lab testing medical marijuana for the first time in years.

The bulk of DeSantis’ $4 million request would go toward new rules by the Florida Department of Health for quality control testing for all types of marijuana products, including raw flower, concentrates and edibles. DOH currently only currently calls on pot companies, known as medical marijuana treatment centers, to submit the products they sell for testing by three state-certified private labs.

Johnson & Johnson vaccine shortage cuts Florida supply next week, down nearly 270k doses

Florida’s weekly allotment of vaccines for COVID-19 from the federal government will take a big hit from this week’s record numbers after a major reduction in the one-dose Johnson & Johnson supply, but the state will still be getting more than 500,000 initial doses from either Moderna and Pfizer.

After getting more than 300,000 doses of the J&J vaccine this week, Florida is only in line to receive 37,000 the week of April 12, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday.

The drug maker was relying on a supply buildup to satisfy the federal government’s order from a U.S. manufacturing plant run by Emergent BioSolutions, but a mixup at the plant forced Johnson & Johnson to throw out 15 million doses. The Biden administration on Saturday announced it was placing J&J in charge of the plant, and the company has said it will be able to meet its vaccine targets in the future.

Florida Senate passes property insurance revamp targeting roof damage, lawsuits

With lawmakers taking widely different stances on what would be best for consumers, the Florida Senate on Wednesday passed a major property-insurance bill that targets roof-damage claims and litigation against insurance companies.

Supporters of the bill (SB 76) said lawmakers need to approve it to curb soaring insurance rates for homeowners. They said private insurers are grappling with large financial losses that have led to rate increases and customers shifting to the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. for coverage.

"This is not easy, I understand that," Senate Banking and Insurance Chairman Jim Boyd, a Bradenton Republican sponsoring the bill, said. "This is important, and it's necessary."