Florida's Latest News

Bill helping cover retired law enforcement dog vet costs cleared for House floor

A bill allowing the owners of retired law enforcement dogs to recoup some of their pet’s vet costs cleared its final House committee Monday.

HB 25, which allows former handlers or adopters of retired law enforcement dogs that served for five years or more to get up to $1,500 annually for veterinary costs, passed the House Judiciary Committee unanimously. The bill passed all three of its committee stops without opposition.

The bill provides $300,000 in recurring funding from the general fund to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to finance the program.

The bill defines a retired law enforcement dog as one previously in the service of, or employed by, a Florida law enforcement agency for the purpose of aiding in the detection of criminal activity, enforcement of laws or apprehension of offenders that has been certified in obedience and apprehension work. The bill requires FDLE to contract a nonprofit corporation selected through a competitive grant award process to manage the grant program.

Should Pinellas have to pay taxes on land it owns in Pasco County?

The Florida Supreme Court on Monday said it will take up a dispute about whether Pinellas County should be required to pay property taxes on land it owns in neighboring Pasco County.

Pinellas County went to the Supreme Court after a panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled that Pinellas was not immune from taxes on the land.

“Neither the trial court nor Pinellas County has identified any case law or constitutional provision that supports the proposition that counties are immune from taxation of their extraterritorial properties,” the appeals court said in a September 2019 ruling.

But in asking the Supreme Court to consider the issue, Pinellas County pointed to potentially far-reaching effects of the case.

Hundreds of crime survivors rally for change at Florida Capitol

Hundreds of survivors of violent crime are expected to be at the Florida Capitol on Tuesday to demand that lawmakers pass policies that will help them grieve and help them find support.

Aswad Thomas was shot in the back. His athletic career — destroyed.

“I was shot in 2009 just after becoming the first male in my family to attend college, and I was also on my way to play professional basketball overseas when I was shot in my back leaving a corner store in my neighborhood in Hartford, Connecticut,” Thomas said.

Thomas has turned his tragedy into motivation to get more help for other survivors of gun violence.

He hopes to make changes in Tallahassee that will help thousands. On Tuesday, he and 400 survivors of crime will rally at the Capitol.

A documentary at Tampa Theatre will raise awareness for saving the Florida Wildlife Corridor

A new documentary on saving migration pathways for the state's wildlife is being featured at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Tampa Theatre. A panel discussion will be held after the screening of  "Saving the Florida Wildlife Corridor."

Filmmaker Tori Linder says this latest documentary on the Wildlife Corridor highlights meeting a Native American conservationist whose family has lived in the Everglades for generations.

"I think we were really fortunate in this experience to have such a great cast of characters, who opened their gates, opened their docks — in Betty Osceola's case, opened her chickee (hut) — to us and shared their story and their narrative," Linder said, "and convinced us we could do a feature documentary on each of them."

The documentary first aired locally last month on WEDU. Among those speaking after the Tampa Theatre screening will be be Tampa nature photographer Carlton Ward Jr., who has helped lead the movement to protect the corridor.