Florida's Latest News

DeSantis proposes bonuses to recruit law officers

Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to ask the Legislature next year to provide $5,000 bonuses to help recruit law-enforcement officers to Florida.

The bonuses are part of a package of proposals that DeSantis announced Tuesday at a Fraternal Order of Police conference in Indianapolis, according to the governor’s office.

State lawmakers could take up the issues during the legislative session that will start in January.

The bonus proposal would offer $5,000 payments to people who have not worked in the past as law-enforcement officers in Florida.

DeSantis also will propose additional scholarship aid for students in law-enforcement academies and offering free certification exams to law-enforcement officers moving to Florida, according to the governor’s office.

Demings pushes bill to stop evictions, foreclosures during future disasters

U.S. Rep. Val Demings, D-Orlando, has introduced new legislation that would automatically trigger a temporary stop on all evictions and foreclosures for homeowners with federally-backed mortgages when a disaster is declared.

The bill, named the Federal Disaster Housing Stability Act of 2021, comes after an eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic was repeatedly challenged in court. In July, a U.S. Supreme Court opinion said the CDC overstepped its role when it created the moratorium and, if lawmakers wanted an eviction ban in place, Congress would need to pass legislation.

The bill would apply to future emergencies.

Florida COVID update: 21,669 new cases, 870 more COVID patients in hospitals

Florida reported 21,669 new COVID-19 cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday, and seven new deaths

Florida — which makes up about 6.5% of the U.S. population — accounted for 19% of the country’s new cases on Monday based on data the state is reporting to the CDC. As of Aug. 16, the state’s seven-day moving average of new cases was 21,786, up from a moving average of 7,039 on July 16. That number represents roughly a 209.5% increase, stemming from the highly contagious delta variant.

On Tuesday, the state also reported seven new deaths the day before.

In all, Florida has recorded at least 2,955,098 confirmed COVID cases statewide and 41,141 deaths, according to the CDC.

Democrats to seek Florida Medicaid expansion through budget reconciliation

Congressional Democrats will seek to bypass Gov. Ron DeSantis and GOP Florida lawmakers by expanding Medicaid in Florida, perhaps by working directly with counties and cities.

In a Tuesday conference call, U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch said budget reconciliation in Congress, a procedure that would require simple majorities in both houses, could be used to create a program in which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services would "administer" straight to consumers or via willing local governments across the Sunshine State.

"What we are talking about in reconciliation is essentially going around the governor and the Republican leaders and short-circuiting their resistance with a program that would be administered by CMS," said Deutch, a Boca Raton Democrat.