Florida's Latest News

Florida lawmakers start weighing DeSantis' 2024-25 budget plan.

Describing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposed 2024-2025 budget as “very responsible,” House and Senate Republican budget chiefs on Tuesday brushed aside concerns about the $114.4 billion spending plan.

Democrats have said they hoped to see more in the proposal to address issues such as stemming rising housing and insurance costs and making improvements at the Florida Department of Corrections, where plans are being extended for members of the Florida National Guard to help with staffing shortages.

DeSantis’ proposal, rolled out last week, is an initial step as lawmakers prepare to negotiate a final budget during the legislative session that will start Jan. 9. Chris Spencer, DeSantis’ budget director, briefed the House and Senate Appropriations committees Tuesday on the proposal, which would represent a nearly 4 percent reduction from the current budget.

House Appropriations Chairman Tom Leek, R-Ormond Beach, said DeSantis “always gives us a very responsible budget recommendation” and indicated he didn’t hear any outstanding issues with the proposal.

New bill would eliminate Florida’s police citizen review boards. What to know about HB 601

When there are accusations made against police officers for excessive and deadly force, or a persistent lack of trust between law enforcement and the community, local officials may turn to citizen review boards to investigate complaints. There are currently 21 "civilian oversight agencies" in cities across Florida, according to a 2022 report.

But if a new bill filed by state Rep. Wyman Duggan passes the 2024 Florida Legislature, they will be eliminated, as will any future attempts to pass local ordinances concerning investigations of misconduct by law enforcement officers and correctional officers by any agency besides the police departments themselves or the state.

Duggan, R-Jacksonville, said locally created civilian panels prevent talented people from coming to law enforcement jobs in Florida because they are not consistent, and they add uncertainty to what's "already a very stressful profession."

A report last year from the LeRoy Collins Institute at Florida State University found a "stark decrease in Black arrest rates" in cities with police review boards and a "net positive for both officers and civilians."

Senate committee unanimously approves ‘Learn Local’ bills amid widespread public support.

The Florida Senate Committee on Fiscal Policy unanimously advanced three education bills on Tuesday against the backdrop of widespread support from education officials.

The trio of measures — Senate Bills 7000, 7002, and 7004 — collectively referred to as the “Learn Local” initiative, aim to streamline various aspects of the educational system, including assessments and instructional protocols.

The most comprehensive of the three, SB 7004, addresses the deregulation of public school assessment and accountability by proposing changes in how schools measure student progress and implement improvement programs. The bill also enhances parental rights in education, eliminates certain high-stakes assessments, and introduces various options for school improvement programs.

SB 7000, meanwhile, focuses on enhancing teacher recruitment and retention and introduces flexibility in setting teacher salaries. The bill also simplifies the teacher certification process and provides incentives for teachers in high-need areas.

As dangerous kratom products go unregulated, lobbyists write the laws.

Upstart companies around the country sell crushed kratom leaf, providing no clear dosing instructions or warnings about potential dangers. They don’t have to.

As medical examiners log an increasing number of overdoses involving kratom across Florida and elsewhere, the industry has largely operated without government constraints or safety measures that could help protect consumers.

Florida lawmakers considered banning kratom three times in the past decade. But industry advocates successfully fought the efforts, ensuring powders, gummies and liquid extracts are readily available at gas stations and smoke shops from Pensacola to Miami. The products vary dramatically in strength — but manufacturers don’t have to disclose or limit their intensity at all.

“It’s totally a wild, wild west market. Buyer beware,” said Christopher McCurdy, a kratom researcher at the University of Florida. “You never know what you’re going to get in this business.”