Florida's Latest News

DeSantis: Florida Should See Surge In COVID-19 Vaccines Soon

Florida will start to see a surge in COVID-19 vaccine supply in the coming weeks, Governor Ron DeSantis said on Wednesday.

Speaking in Brooksville at another pop-up vaccination site, DeSantis said he expects Floridians to have access to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by this weekend or next week.

The vaccine was found to be safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration Wednesday and is expected to be authorized for use as soon as this weekend.

Remove consequences from student test results, key Florida lawmaker says

Students, teachers and schools should not have to suffer the consequences that usually accompany Florida’s annual accountability tests as they complete this pandemic-fueled year.

That was the clear message Wednesday from Senate Education Committee chairman Joe Gruters, speaking during a teleconference with school board members and superintendents from five counties, including Pasco and Hernando.

This year’s test results should serve only as “a barometer” of how students are doing, said Gruters, who also heads the state’s Republican Party.

Florida Senate Moves To The Right — And Fast

The Florida Senate has long been considered the saucer that cools the hot tea, a metaphor purportedly coined by George Washington to describe the U.S. Senate’s tempering influence on the more hot-headed --- and numerous --- House of Representatives.

The Florida Senate has steadily crept away from the political center since Republicans secured a majority in both legislative chambers and cemented a hold on the governor’s mansion more than two decades ago.

But the November elections, the coronavirus pandemic and an expanded GOP caucus have emboldened Senate leaders to embrace what may be the most conservative agenda in recent years as they prepare for the 2021 legislative session that begins Tuesday.

Florida lawmakers look at ‘education savings accounts’

With the 2021 legislative session set to begin next week, Florida lawmakers could further broaden the state’s school-choice landscape with what are called “education savings accounts.”

Lawmakers are considering a far-reaching proposal (SB 48) that would expand eligibility for voucher programs and allow parents to use taxpayer-backed education savings accounts for private schools and other costs.

The plan, sponsored by Sen. Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah, would also fold existing voucher programs into two main scholarships, with one serving students with special needs and the other directed at the broader population of students. Both would involve the use of education savings accounts, giving parents flexible spending power with 97.5 percent of the current state per-student funding level, or roughly $7,600.