Florida's Latest News

Florida Gov. DeSantis promotes session call to fight Biden, opens re-election campaign

Gov. Ron DeSantis promoted his call for a special session next week to ban Biden administration vaccine mandates on large businesses, starkly portraying the federal push to blunt the COVID-19 pandemic as an attack on freedom and a threat to the economy.

The governor was joined on Monday by legislative leaders and several Floridians who endorse breaking with the president's approach to quelling a pandemic that has killed more than 750,000 Americans, including 60,334 in Florida.

“We’ve got to stand up and protect their jobs and protect their livelihoods,” DeSantis said, in his latest campaign rally-like event at a Zephyrhills construction company.

Shevrin Jones bill would end driver’s license suspensions for Floridians facing certain court fines

Democratic Sen. Shevrin Jones has filed legislation that would add Florida to the list of states ending the practice of suspending individuals’ driver’s licenses as punishment for failure to pay certain court fines and fees.

Jones filed the bill (SB 870) Monday. So far, no House companion bill has been filed, but Jones tells Florida Politics he expects that to happen by the end of this week. He’s seeking a Republican co-sponsor to make the effort bipartisan, he said.

“It can’t get more bipartisan than this,” Jones said, arguing the issue affects bases of both Democrats and Republicans.

“A lot of them have licenses that are suspended, and many of them can’t pay it. And because they can’t pay it, some of them, they’re driving on suspended licenses.”

Florida closes COVID-19 treatment clinics as demand slows

COVID-19 treatment clinics championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis are closing as demand plummets with centers in Volusia and Polk counties the latest to cease operations.

Florida is now operating 20 monoclonal antibody treatment sites, down from 25 during the delta surge, according to the Department of Health’s appointment website.

Clinics in Ormond Beach, Lakeland and Sebring closed on Friday, local officials confirmed. Treatment sites have also recently been shuttered in Palm Coast in Flagler County and Immokalee in Collier County.

Two additional state clinics in Alachua and Leon counties are slated to close on Friday.

Gas prices in Florida inch lower, but expected to remain high as holiday travel increases

After peaking at the highest prices they’ve been in eight years, the average gas price in Florida dropped by 3 cents last week.

The average price across the Sunshine State to start the week, according to the AAA-Auto Club Group's weekly briefing, is $3.28 a gallon.

Crude oil prices, which have dictated the cost of gasoline throughout the year, declined by 7% last week as domestic production has increased on a weekly basis lately.

However, demand for fuel is still outpacing supplies across the world. That could mean continued high prices heading into what is expected to be a busy travel season.