Florida's Latest News

DeSantis expected to sign teacher pay raises into Florida law

Will he or won’t he sign a promised teacher pay raise into Florida law?

That’s been the question that educators around the state have asked about Gov. Ron DeSantis, who called 2020 the “year of the teacher” but then found himself confronted by a spiraling economy hit by COVID-19.

Florida TaxWatch, a think tank that espouses small government spending, called on the governor to delay the $500 million program that lawmakers sent his way. When asked — repeatedly — about the expense, DeSantis hedged.

DeSantis signs 23 more bills, holds back on signing $93.2 billion budget

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed 23 bills Tuesday night, none of which were the $93.2 billion state budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, which must be approved by July 1.

DeSantis said last month that he was putting off signing it awaiting action from Washington, D.C., on another stimulus package to address the national economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Along with needing to sign the budget before July 1, DeSantis has line-item veto power. At a press conference last week, DeSantis joked that the budget would look like “the veto equivalent of the Red Wedding from ‘Game of Thrones,’ ” referring to a dramatic scene from the hit HBO show and George R.R. Martin’s third book in the series in which some of the main characters were betrayed and killed by their allies.

Florida yanks this college bar’s license after dozens test positive for COVID-19

A bar near the University of Central Florida has had its state alcoholic beverage license suspended for violating reopening guidelines after 13 employees and at least 28 customers tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation announced Monday night the emergency suspension of the license of The Knight’s Pub in Orlando. The suspension came two days after Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state would begin cracking down on restaurants and bars that fail to follow coronavirus guidelines.

Key guidelines were included in a June 3 executive order by DeSantis, known as Executive Order 20-139, that allowed bars to operate at 50% of their indoor capacity, with seated service.

Florida Democrats gain vote-by-mail advantage

Democrats have opened up a 302,000-voter advantage over Republicans in vote-by-mail enrollment, an edge that could pay big dividends in President Donald Trump’s newly adopted must-win state.

Five months before Election Day, more than 1.46 million Democrats have signed up to vote by mail compared to 1.16 million Republicans, according to an analysis of state Division of Election data released Friday. By comparison, in 2016, Democrats held an advantage of about 8,800 in vote-by-mail enrollment.

The reason for the success is twofold. Democrats have put heightened emphasis on getting more people to cast ballots from home, an effort that preceded the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. And Trump has demonized this type of voting so much that Republicans, who once dominated mail-in ballots, are souring on it.