Florida's Latest News

State gaming commission proposal clears House committee

A House subcommittee OK’d two bills on Monday, one that would create a state commission to enforce gaming laws and another that would provide the commission a public record exemption.

The primary bill (HB 3A) would establish the Florida Gaming Control Commission and crown it Florida’s lead law enforcement agency on gambling.

Currently, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) oversees pari-mutuel gambling in Florida such as cardrooms and horse racing.

Proponents of the bill, however, contend the department is struggling to manage gaming within the state.

Endorsement? Rick Scott says Ron DeSantis will ‘continue to lead the party’ into 2022

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott on Monday predicted the reelection of Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022, saying the Governor will “continue to lead the party.”

The Senator from Florida, appearing on the “National Report” program on the Newsmax cable network, was asked “who would be the right person to lead the state of Florida when it comes to the Governor’s race in 2022. Is it DeSantis? Does he maintain his position?”

Scott answered the question as if it was clear.

“Oh, I think — I mean, look. The state’s open for business. Our schools are open. Um, you know, we’re going to continue to work hard in our state, so I think that he’ll continue to lead the party and be the next Governor,” Scott said of DeSantis.

Florida Reports Lowest State, Regional Coronavirus Cases In A Month

The numbers of people testing positive for COVID-19 Monday was at its lowest point in more than a month in the greater Tampa Bay region.

Since Sunday, 357 people tested positive in the region, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Health officials also reported 1,976 new cases statewide on Monday. Those are the lowest state and regional numbers since mid-April.

And while hospitalizations for complications from COVID-19 ticked up slightly on Monday to 2,443, it's still the second-lowest number statewide since the beginning of November.

As hurricane season approaches, three insurers are canceling thousands of Florida customers

As another hurricane season bears down on the state, more than 50,000 Florida home insurance customers will soon receive notices that their policies have been canceled or won’t be renewed.

State insurance regulators recently authorized “extraordinary” terminations of thousands of policies of Florida-based insurers Universal Insurance of North America, Gulfstream Property & Casualty, and Southern Fidelity.

And the bloodletting will likely continue over the coming months with other insurers seeking to shed risky or unprofitable policies while refusing to insure older homes with roofs, electrical systems and plumbing that have not been upgraded to comply with current building codes, said Paul Handerhan, president of the consumer-focused Federal Association for Insurance Reform.