Florida's Latest News

‘Veto equivalent of the Red Wedding’: Budget slashing to come this month

Gov. Ron DeSantis will take a heavy-handed approach to the budget for the state’s next fiscal year in the face of revenue shortfalls from the coronavirus pandemic.

“There’s going to be a lot more vetoes. It’ll be a lot of red,” DeSantis warned.

His colorful picture: “It’s kind of the veto equivalent of the Red Wedding from ‘Game of Thrones.'”

This Session, the Governor earned wins on teacher pay raises, the Sadowski Affordable Housing Trust Fund and environmental funding. But even some of those priorities, including state employee pay raises, are put under pressure with the Governor looking to cut between a half to a full billion dollars.

DeSantis says state won’t shut down again despite spike in COVID-19 cases

After another record one-day high of new reported coronavirus cases Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said he has no plans to shut down the state’s economy again.

During a press conference in Tallahassee, DeSantis again said the increases in cases are due to more testing being conducted combined with some spikes in agriculture communities, jails and long-term care facilities — not because the state decided to reopen portions of the economy in recent weeks.

“We’re not shutting down. We’re going to go forward we’re going to continue to protect the most vulnerable, we’re going to urge continue to advise, particularly our elderly population, to maintain social distancing and avoid crowds,” DeSantis said.

Superintendents urge DeSantis to veto $233M pension payment

Superintendents of Florida's seven largest school districts called on Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto legislation that would send a $233 million pension bill to schools amid looming budget cuts and the cost of responding to the Covid-19 outbreak.

In a letter to the Republican governor, education leaders representing 51 percent of the state’s students said forcing school systems to pay the entire bill at once would leave districts reeling in the current "volatile environment."

“An increase this large would be difficult at any time, but what makes it especially untenable now is the unprecedented financial uncertainty of our State, our Nation, and the world,” the superintendents wrote in the June 9 letter, which was obtained by POLITICO.

Are Businesses Liable for Consumer Exposure to COVID-19? It’s Complicated.

With theme parks continuing to open in Central Florida, their websites now tell people that there is no guarantee that visitors will not be exposed to COVID-19.

Visiting From Virginia, Mycal McNeil came to Orlando to attend Universal Studios. Before entering, she knew what she signed up for.

“They hollered at me plenty of times to put my mask back on,” the tourist from Virginia said with a chuckle.

Wearing a mask in the park is a requirement, but on their website there is now a disclaimer: “Exposure to COVID-19 is an inherent risk in any public location where people are present; we cannot guarantee you will not be exposed during your visit.”