Florida's Latest News

Florida Cabinet Approves $27.4M to Protect 21,500 Acres of Conservation, Agricultural Land

Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet on Wednesday approved the protection of more than 21,500 acres of conservation and agricultural land across four regions of the state, authorizing $27.4 million in acquisitions through the Florida Forever program and the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.

The approved projects rely primarily on conservation easements, which allow landowners to retain ownership and continue agricultural operations while permanently restricting development. State officials said the approach balances environmental protection, military readiness and rural economic preservation.

“Protecting Florida’s agricultural and conservation lands means keeping it in the hands of the families who work them,” said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson. “I was proud to approve the protection of these lands today alongside the Governor and my fellow Cabinet members. Every acre protected through these programs keeps our state a little more rural – and a lot more Florida – while supporting farmers, ranchers, and conservation efforts statewide.”

Nearly 11,000 acres in Collier and Hendry counties will be placed under conservation easements within the Caloosahatchee Big Cypress Corridor, strengthening connectivity between Big Cypress National Preserve, the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and Dinner Island Wildlife Management Area. The land provides habitat for imperiled species, including the Florida panther, while remaining in agricultural use.

Blaise Ingoglia backs bill with penalties for local government overspending and taxation

Florida’s Chief Financial Officer has bashed nearly a dozen local governments for what he calls overtaxation and overspending in the past several months. Now, he’s shifting his focus to propose a bill that would institute more state controls over municipal finances.

CFO Blaise Ingoglia held a news conference in Tampa where he outlined several elements of legislation that will be taken up by the House and Senate when the Legislative Session begins Jan. 13.

“Almost every local government we have reviewed … has shown zero fiscal restraint,” Ingoglia said. “They just took the tax money and they spent it.”

To bring some of that spending under control, the legislation would establish what he calls the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight as a permanent initiative and agency.

The move comes after Ingoglia began analyzing local government spending in different municipalities in the Summer. He concluded his tour of different counties and cities on Dec. 4 in Palm Beach County, where he blasted that government for “wasteful and excessive” spending.

Ingoglia said that across all 11 local governments he has analyzed, he has exposed “$1.87 billion in excessive spending in just one year alone.”

Gov. DeSantis appoints 3 Judges in Miami-Dade, 2 in Tallahassee

Gov. Ron DeSantis just filled a handful of bench vacancies, three in Florida’s most populous county and two in the state’s capital.

In Miami-Dade, DeSantis named County Court Judge Christina Correa and Assistant State Attorney Jose Rohaidy to the 11th Judicial Circuit Court. He also tapped lawyer Jennifer Levin for a judgeship on the Miami-Dade County Court.

All fill vacancies created by the enactment of SB 2508, a measure the Governor signed this year increasing the number of circuit and county court Judges statewide.

Correa has served on the County Court since 2020, having previously worked as an Assistant State Attorney. She holds a Juris Doctor from Florida International University.

Rohaidy, part of State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle’s team since 2019, previously worked as an associate at Zumpano Patricios and earned his Juris Doctor from St. Thomas University.

Levin, a partner at Stone Glass & Connolly and past associate at Martinez Morales Law, earned her Juris Doctor from FIU, too.

Two Tallahassee lawyers — both of whom have worked in the Legislature — are also donning robes, courtesy of DeSantis’ appointment pen.

FSU, Tallahassee reach a tentative agreement on hospital sale price tag

Florida State University and the city of Tallahassee say they've reached a deal on the sale of Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare.  

The Tallahassee City Commission voted 3-2 in October for city staff to enter negotiations, though talks had been ongoing at the time. FSU president Richard McCullough announced the tentative terms Tuesday.

In an email to university employees, he said FSU will pay Tallahassee $109 million over 30 years for the hospital's property and assets. The school will also commit $100 million to facility upgrades and $150 million to improvements for clinical and academic purposes over the next 10 years. 

"This pending agreement is the result of positive collaboration with the city and a shared vision for the future of health care, education and research in our region," McCullough said in a release announcing the memorandum of understanding. 

The deal is not yet finalized. It must be approved by the Tallahassee City Commission. 

"This agreement charts a bold, transformative path forward," Mayor John Dailey said in a press release from the city.  "Thanks to the dedication of professionals who refuse to accept the status quo, the future of health care in Tallahassee will be better. By aligning our hospital with one of the state's premier universities to create an academic health center, we are redefining health care in a way that positively impacts the lives of residents locally and across the region."