Florida's Latest News

Harvest time: Governor receives Florida Farm Bill

The Legislature has sent the Farm Bill to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his review and signature.

The nearly 40-page measure, sponsored by Sen. Keith Truenow, touches everything from land use and biosolids regulation to veterinary workforce development and local government preemption.

The Eustis Republican, a farmer by trade, pitched SB 290 as delivering practical relief to hard-working Floridians in an unforgiving industry, saying it would make the grind “just a little bit easier” for farmers.

As with most agency bills, this one from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is sprawling. Public-private food bank partnerships, veterinary education loan repayments, and preemption of government restrictions on gas-powered farm equipment all get a turn in the spotlight.

FSU hosts former U.S. Ambassador who praises school for spreading democracy

While promoting the prominence of global diplomacy, former U.S. Ambassador Mark Brzezinski heaped praise on Florida State University for its commitment to international politics.

Brzezinski was the keynote speaker at the fourth annual D’Alemberte & Palmer Lecture in International Human Rights at the FSU College of Law. The topic of his address was “U.S. Embassies as ‘Force Multipliers’ for Democracy and Human Rights: The Case of Poland 2021-25.” Brzezinski was the U.S. Ambassador to Poland from 2021 to 2024 and also held the diplomatic post in Sweden from 2011 to 2015.

“The broad lesson is clear,” Brzezinski said as he spoke in the rotunda of the law school. “Embassies aren’t ancillary, they’re the operational core. For half a century, they’ve done this work in context ranging from post conflict reconstruction to stable democracies.”

Brzezinski reflected on his association with Sandy D’Alemberte, who was President of FSU from 1994 to 2003. He acknowledged D’Alemberte’s contribution to democracy itself, as the academic administrator and lawyer helped promote fair and open election laws in 21 countries through American Bar Association (ABA) programs.

HD 87 voters to fill long-vacant seat as Emily Gregory, Jon Maples face off in Special Election

Voters in House District 87 head to the polls Tuesday to choose between Democrat Emily Gregory and Republican Jon Maples in a Special Election to fill a legislative seat left vacant for seven months.

The Palm Beach County district — which runs up the coast through Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Juno Beach and Hypoluxo — has gone without representation since August, when Republican state Rep. Mike Caruso resigned to become the county’s Clerk and Comptroller.

The extended vacancy became a defining issue in the race itself. Nearly two months passed before Gov. Ron DeSantis called the election in late October, a delay that prompted Gregory to sue, arguing voters were being denied representation.

While the lawsuit became moot once DeSantis scheduled the contest, the lag meant residents had no voice in Tallahassee during the 2026 Legislative Session.

New legislation targets clean energy. What it means for Tallahassee

Florida's legislative session has come to a close, and several bills awaiting Gov. Ron DeSantis' review could shake up the way the city of Tallahassee operates.

Lawmakers' talk of eliminating property taxes — a major revenue source for Tallahassee and other municipalities — has largely been in the spotlight, but there are two bills targeting city-run utilities and clean energy plans that could also become a reorganizational headache for the city.

The Legislature passed HB 1217, which would prevent local governments from adopting certain net-zero policies, and HB 1451, which would require municipalities to hold meetings before establishing utility services in unincorporated areas or other municipalities.

Calls and texts to request interviews with city officials who could speak on the specific effects these bills might have on the capital city's government went unanswered over the last week. City spokesperson Alison Faris declined to comment in detail, instead replying with a link to a PDF created by the Florida League of Cities that summarizes "spotlight" bills.