INSIDER
A day after the Florida House started moving forward with its version of the plan, the Senate on Friday released a wide-ranging bill that would add restrictions to the state’s ballot initiative process.
A state Senate bill gaining momentum in Florida aims to increase the punishment for those convicted of manslaughter against a police officer.
Currently, people who are 25 years old or older cannot seek such damages in medical malpractice cases involving deaths of their parents. Also, parents cannot seek such damages in malpractice cases involving the deaths of their children who are 25 or older.
Homeowners often feel the stress when their property tax bill arrives in the mail. Removing this burden could be appealing, though it comes with a new set of challenges.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a new front on his war against vaccine mandates Wednesday, urging lawmakers to ban all mandates for mRNA-related vaccines.
As Orange County continues to see record tourism tax revenues, Orlando lawmakers are looking to change how this money can be spent.
With House Speaker Daniel Perez pointing to an “age of disruption,” Florida Republican legislative leaders opened the 2025 session on Tuesday by voicing support for digging into government spending.
The annual Florida Legislative Session gets underway Tuesday, and our state representatives are looking to pass bills on everything from help for people with disabilities to preventing pool drownings to mental health care for teachers.
We asked Central Florida's 12 state senators (nine Republicans and three Democrats) what bills they hoped to pass this year and what issues they hoped the legislature would prioritize. Here are the responses we got.
Lawmakers in 2023 approved the requirements, citing a need for older students to get more sleep. The requirements are slated to take effect in 2026, but as the deadline has neared, districts have said they are struggling to comply.
Florida’s annual legislative session is set to begin, with elected officials from the House and Senate gathering in Tallahassee.
Bills filed for the annual Florida Legislative Session will look to create a funding source for a popular program to help Floridians pay to harden their homes against severe weather, while also offering tax relief to make those home projects more attractive.
State Sen. Geraldine Thompson planned to introduce several bills and budget requests during the annual Florida legislative session, which starts next week. With Thompson’s sudden death earlier this month, her colleagues in the Florida House and Senate are working to make sure those proposals live on.
This month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his latest budget recommendations, which could bring significant changes to some of the state’s biggest highways.
Rep. Anna Eskamani put in a budget request for $394,321 for the city of Orlando's Pulse Memorial. That's the same amount of money that was returned when the previous group dissolved last year.
Dr. LaVon W. Bracy, a community leader and author, first met State Sen. Geraldine Thompson in 1969 when they became college roommates. Their friendship, which began when they were both 20 years old, lasted a lifetime. Bracy and her daughter, State Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis, talked to News 6 about Thompson and her legacy.
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday backed Rep. Debbie Mayfield in her bid to run in a special election for a Senate seat, ruling that state elections officials wrongly blocked her from appearing on the ballot.
Geraldine Thompson, who represented Orange County in the Florida House and Senate for almost 20 years, died Thursday, according to several lawmakers who worked with Thompson throughout her career.
A bill signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis Thursday will appropriate $298.8 million for immigration enforcement. A newly created State Board of Immigration Enforcement will get most of the money – approximately $250.7 million.
With the recent passage of some of the most stringent illegal immigration enforcement laws, many undocumented immigrants may choose to stop showing up for work due to fear of being detained, which some say could impact Florida’s economy.
After a bipartisan uproar last year about a proposal dubbed the “Great Outdoors Initiative,” the Florida Senate on Tuesday began moving forward with a bill that would prevent building such things as golf courses, pickleball courts and hotel-style lodges in state parks.
The Florida Legislature is going back to Tallahassee starting Tuesday to make changes to recently-passed — and contentious — legislation to crack down on undocumented immigrants.
Arguing that elections officials overstepped their authority, state Rep. Debbie Mayfield on Thursday filed an emergency petition at the Florida Supreme Court after being blocked from running in a special election for a Senate seat.
At a roundtable Wednesday morning at the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office in Titusville, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed to veto the new immigration act the legislature passed Tuesday.
The Florida Legislature is currently in the midst of a special session focused on immigration, with Governor Ron DeSantis expressing dissatisfaction over the dismissal of his proposal.
The Florida Legislature will hold a session this week after all, and tackle only one issue, immigration, with a bill of their own creation. That bill puts immigration collaboration and enforcement in the hands of Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson, taking much of the power from Gov. DeSantis.
State Sen. Randy Fine, R-Brevard County, is resigning effective March 31 from the Senate as he runs in a special election to replace former U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz, who was named national security adviser by President Donald Trump.
HB 1365 does allow counties or cities to designate an area for public camping, but so far, no Central Florida government has designated an area for camping. So if people experiencing homelessness can’t sleep or camp outside, where should they go? In Seminole County, there’s only one homeless shelter: The Rescue Outreach Mission.
Carolina Amesty, the former west Orange County state representative, is facing accusations of defrauding the federal loan program for organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Sunshine State ranks 40th in the country for access to mental healthcare, according to Mental Health America. Experts say one of the reasons is the lack of psychiatrists to prescribe medication. House Bill 23, filed this month, could give psychologists the ability to prescribe medication as well.
In the wake of the recent election, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has called for significant changes to the state’s petition and amendment process.
A divided appeals court Friday ruled that a state requirement for convicted sexual predators to have the words “SEXUAL PREDATOR” on their driver’s licenses violates First Amendment rights.
After the fatal collapse of the Surfside Condo building in 2021, lawmakers passed a bill mandating stringent structural inspections and increased financial reserves for repairs, escalating costs for condo owners. Lawmakers are starting to look for solutions.
Former Rep. Joel Rudman, R-Navarre, stepped down from the state House District 3 seat last week, and state Sen. Randy Fine, R-Brevard County, will exit his Senate District 19 seat on March 31 as they run in special elections for congressional seats.
WKMG News 6 is joining 9 other local news outlets in a regional collaboration to report on the local impact of Florida’s new Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping bill (House Bill 1365), set to be enforced on Jan. 1.
Central Florida faces a stark “math problem” when it comes to addressing homelessness. Available resources simply don’t add up to meet the demand. The challenge has been further complicated by new legislation known as the Florida Homelessness Reduction Act, which went into effect last October.
Next month, Central Floridians will be able to meet all of their lawmakers in one room and tell them what they want the Florida Legislature to do. Here's how.
Fiscal belt-tightening is coming in Tallahassee, according to Florida’s new legislative leaders who took their oaths of office Tuesday.
Incoming House Speaker Daniel Perez on Thursday rolled out changes to House committees, while saying lawmakers have “spent taxpayer funds excessively and indiscriminately in the last few years.”
Incumbent Republican State Rep. Carolina Amesty has officially been unseated by Democrat Leonard Spencer in the race for Florida House of Representatives’ District 45 seat.
Viewers say insurance costs, particularly property and auto insurance, but also health insurance were a top issue informing their vote this election in Florida. So what do the candidates for the Florida House and Senate think about insurance policy in the state?
The city of Orlando on Monday joined the growing number of county and city governments opting out of a state law that is supposed to bring more affordable housing to communities.
Incumbent Republican State Rep. Carolina Amesty is up against Democrat Leonard Spencer for the Florida House of Representatives’ District 45 seat.
The amendment, if passed, would change the way some property taxes are calculated for Florida homeowners who have a homestead exemption. The amendment needs approval from 60% of Florida voters to pass. Here's what happens if it does.
Saying the restriction is “fully consistent” with “historical tradition,” lawyers for Florida are urging an Atlanta-based appeals court to uphold a law preventing people under age 21 from purchasing rifles and other long guns.
As news broke Thursday about State Rep. Carolina Amesty’s indictment and arrest on forgery charges, questions immediately arose about whether the Windermere Republican would resign or be suspended from office.
Margaritaville Orlando's first-ever Jimmy Buffet Day will feature live music, family activities, raffles, and giveaways including a 2-night resort stay.
After reviewing his records, Make Ends Meet confirmed salesperson David Catalano’s account is active and eligible for $3,300, but is on hold due to a “pending issue awaiting adjudication determination.”
Republican Rep. Cory Mills will face Democrat Jennifer Adams in the November election for U.S. House District 7.
Working outdoors in Central Florida is more than just exhausting, it's dangerous. Apopka has many farms that hire workers to be outdoors in extreme heat.
In his veto letter, DeSantis explained that local governments already have zoning powers, and expressed concerns that the bill could promote housing for illegal migrants.
A controversial bill that creates a kind of “stand your ground” defense for shooting Florida black bears on a person’s property is now a law, along with a bill to make it tougher to file ethics complaints and 12 other bills that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Friday night.
A bill that would have banned left-lane “campers” on Florida highways will not become law after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed it and two other bills Friday.
A federal judge has blocked a 2023 Florida law that required municipal elected officials to disclose detailed information about their personal finances, ruling that the law likely violated First Amendment rights.
A federal judge has struck down part of a Florida law regarding gender-affirming care this week, calling it unconstitutional and claiming it was created based on animus, not a legitimate state interest.
In what could be one of this year’s highest-profile legislative primary elections, former St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar has opened a campaign account to run for a seat that will be vacated by term-limited Sen. Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, according to News 6's partners at WJXT in Jacksonville.
Florida homeowners living in HOA communities may be able to take a breath this summer. A new law going into effect July 1 could give them some of their freedom back.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed eight more measures passed by the Florida Legislature into law on Friday.
Florida law dictates how tourist tax dollars can be used, and lawmakers have been reticent to make changes.
Laws passed in several Republican-controlled states after the 2020 presidential election have criminalized much of the work done by voter outreach groups.
Progressive civic groups have challenged how four congressional districts and seven state House districts in South Florida were drawn by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature.
A new law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis this week increases penalties for street racing and “coordinated street takeovers” that involve 10 or more vehicles.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke in Naples Tuesday afternoon at a wetlands research center, a day after announcing funding for environmental upgrades.
With two months to go before the deadline to qualify to run for office, a Florida Senate seat in Orange County is shaping up to be a battle between two heavyweights in the Black community.
The state of Florida has paused a program that shipped migrants to other parts of the country because it was not getting enough volunteers.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping education reform bill that includes, among other things, limits on the number of book challenges a person can make if they are not a parent of a student in a school district.
A three-judge federal panel Wednesday rejected a constitutional challenge to a congressional redistricting plan that Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed through the Legislature in 2022, saying opponents did not prove lawmakers acted with “racially discriminatory purpose.”
On Friday, Florida lawmakers approved a bill that would raise the age limit for adult entertainers and push back against human trafficking efforts.
In an issue stemming from complaints about bears in Northwest Florida, the state House on Thursday gave final approval to a bill that would bolster self-defense arguments for people who kill bears on their property.
A bill headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis would put new money in the coffers of a popular Florida program to help homeowners pay for hurricane-related home improvements.
The Florida Legislature passed a final version of a bill that would allow the state fire marshal to create new rules regarding the storage of lithium-ion batteries, something a News 6 investigation showed is sorely needed in the state.
The bill would require public schools to teach about the history of communist groups in the U.S. and abroad, as well as the problems with communist principles.
A controversial proposal designed to prevent homeless people from sleeping in public places while requiring local governments to address the issue is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
A new version of the measure to force children off social media passed the Florida Senate Monday, setting up a final vote in the Florida House before the end of the legislative session this week.
Restitution for decades of abuse at two now-shuttered reform schools where boys were beaten, raped and killed is now in the hands of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The issue gained traction last year after Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith complained about several bear encounters in the area.
While the issue has not moved forward in the Senate, the Florida House on Friday passed a controversial bill that would lower the minimum age from 21 to 18 to buy rifles and shotguns.
With a Friday deadline looming, House Speaker Paul Renner said Wednesday that he and Gov. Ron DeSantis are trying to work out differences on a bill aimed at keeping children under age 16 off social-media platforms.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday morning signed a bill in Palm Beach that he said would greenlight the disclosure of grand jury materials regarding the Jeffrey Epstein case that are nearly two decades old.
