Florida's Latest News

DeSantis wants to step up immigration enforcement: Here’s the newly proposed law for Florida

In one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ priorities for this year’s legislative session, two Republican lawmakers have filed a proposal that seeks to ratchet up immigration enforcement — in the state.

Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, and Rep. John Snyder, R-Stuart, filed identical bills (SB 1808 and HB 1355) on Friday, nearly a month after DeSantis announced similar proposals during a news conference in Jacksonville.

DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody have criticized Biden administration border policies for months, and the bills came as lawmakers prepare to start the annual legislative session Tuesday — and as DeSantis, Moody and dozens of lawmakers prepare for elections this fall.

With 3 vacant South Florida seats, Democrats start 2022 session in even weaker posture

Rick Hoye, Broward County’s newly elected Democratic Party chair, knows he’s running against the clock. In the past months, he helped lead voter outreach for a congressional special election primary in an overwhelmingly blue seat. Now, he has two more special elections in his county to mobilize voters for — a task that will prove difficult in elections with historically low turnout.

“It’s not an easy task but it’s our task,” said Hoye. “We don’t have that much time … the average person doesn’t follow this thing the way I do.” For a party that has for years struggled to counter Republican-led bills and priorities, Florida Democrats are facing an added hurdle in this year’s legislative session. Three safely Democratic districts in Broward and Palm Beach counties are likely to go unfilled during most of the legislative session that starts on Jan. 11.

Bills promoting gun safety and loosening gun restrictions are back before Florida Legislature

Democrats seeking to curb gun violence face headwinds in the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature. On the flipside, Republican proposals seeking to loosen gun restrictions may also face pushback.

South Florida Democrats took part last week in a virtual roundtable about gun safety legislation. “People often ask whether Congress is doing enough, whether the White House is doing enough, whether our state governments have done enough,” said Congressman Ted Deutch, who hosted the online discussion with local and state leaders as well as activists. “The answer to that question is no, undeniably no. Nobody has done or is doing enough.”

For the 4th year, Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, is trying to pass a law that requires the safe storage of firearms to help keep them away from kids. “I naively thought this should be a fairly easy step to take when I entered the legislature four years ago,” Polsky said. “We're not taking anyone's guns -- just requiring you to do the responsible thing.”

FDEP proposes $3.2 million in penalties for contaminated water in Gulf Breeze

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued draft consent orders for Gulf Breeze, Midway Water System and Brown Construction of Northwest Florida proposing more than $3.2 million in penalties for the cross-connection that contaminated drinking water at about 340 homes in Gulf Breeze’s Soundside Drive neighborhood late last year.

Brown has been hit with about $2 million of the assessed penalties, Gulf Breeze with $1 million and Midway with $220,000.

The three parties have until Jan. 17 to review and respond to the orders. 

"I think it shows how serious it was. I mean, we're talking about people's drinking water," said Liz Pavelick, a member of Santa Rosa County environmental group Save Our Soundside. She added she was pleasantly surprised with the penalty amount FDEP proposed.