WEATHER ALERT
Florida lawmakers pass ban on social media for kids under 16 despite constitutional concerns
Read full article: Florida lawmakers pass ban on social media for kids under 16 despite constitutional concernsA bill that would be one of the nation’s most restrictive bans on minors’ use of social media is heading to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Back home in Florida after White House bid ends, DeSantis is still focused on Washington’s problems
Read full article: Back home in Florida after White House bid ends, DeSantis is still focused on Washington’s problemsRepublican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says he wants lawmakers to change Washington this year.
Florida Senate sends 8-year school term limit bill to Gov. DeSantis
Read full article: Florida Senate sends 8-year school term limit bill to Gov. DeSantisThe Florida Senate on Monday gave final approval to a bill that would impose eight-year term limits on county school-board members, readying the issue to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Florida Senate passes bill clarifying election crimes prosecution
Read full article: Florida Senate passes bill clarifying election crimes prosecutionFlorida’s statewide prosecutor would have jurisdiction to prosecute more crimes related to elections and voting, under a bill passed by the Florida Senate Wednesday.
Judge poised to consider Florida migrant flights case
Read full article: Judge poised to consider Florida migrant flights caseA Leon County circuit judge will hear arguments Friday about whether he should toss out a lawsuit filed by a South Florida state senator after Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration flew about 50 migrants from Texas to Massachusetts in September.
Judge says Florida migrant flights lawsuit needs changes
Read full article: Judge says Florida migrant flights lawsuit needs changesA Leon County circuit judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed by a South Florida senator challenging the use of state funds to transport migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, but advised how to revamp the legal complaint so the case can move forward.
Florida lawmaker challenges Gov. DeSantis on migrant flights
Read full article: Florida lawmaker challenges Gov. DeSantis on migrant flightsA South Florida state senator late Thursday filed a lawsuit challenging Gov. Ron DeSantis’ controversial decision last week to fly migrants from Texas to Massachusetts and seeking to block similar flights in the future.
Florida’s ‘anti-riot’ bill faces uncertain fate in Senate
Read full article: Florida’s ‘anti-riot’ bill faces uncertain fate in SenateWith the number of weeks left before the Legislature’s scheduled adjournment in the final week of April, lawmakers also are beginning to tackle the state budget with more urgency. But proposals like the anti-riot bill are consuming much of the air in the Florida statehouse this session. The measure could spawn an interesting dynamic in the state Senate, where it has yet to get a hearing. The House passed the measure Friday, with the Republican majority arguing that the measure was needed to preserve law and order. Another House committee is taking up a proposal that would abolish the state’s Constitution Revision Commission.
Florida tourism numbers lowest since 2010
Read full article: Florida tourism numbers lowest since 2010TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The coronavirus ended a decade of record-setting tourism numbers in Florida, with the industry seeing a 34% drop in visitors in 2020 compared to the prior year. The hospitality and leisure industries handled 82.315 million visitors in 2010 and 87.307 million in 2011. Ad“No one is going to argue that tourism is not the largest industry in the state of Florida. Visit Florida is not one of those vital roles, “Suderman said. AdAccording to the Visit Florida numbers, the state drew an estimated 20.62 million visitors in the fourth quarter of 2020, down 33.1 percent from the prior year.
A fraction of former Florida felons will be able to vote this election
Read full article: A fraction of former Florida felons will be able to vote this electionBut just a fraction of the so-called “returning citizens” targeted by the measure will be able to participate in the Nov. 3 presidential election. “The Legislature purposely set up a system that was designed for voter suppression, and it has worked,” Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, a former Democratic state senator, told The News Service of Florida. The 11th Circuit’s decision means that felons must clear up financial obligations to be legally eligible to register and vote. It’s unclear, however, how many felons have registered to vote since the amendment went into effect in January 2019. Volz --- whose group is also engaged in voter-registration activities --- acknowledged that he’d like to see more felons participating in the upcoming presidential election.
Florida unemployment call center workers hit roadblocks trying to help unemployed, lawmaker says
Read full article: Florida unemployment call center workers hit roadblocks trying to help unemployed, lawmaker saysNews 6 could not independently authenticate the messages, which Pizzo said he obtained from a call center worker known to him. They are a Disney employee,” the unidentified call center worker wrote in the electronic message. Since late March, DEO has been able to add more than additional nearly 6,000 contact center representatives through our contracted contact centers and our DEO team members. "To understand the volume of calls DEO receives, the week ending March 8, DEO received 28,000 calls and the week ending March 14, DEO received 224,000 calls. "DEO has mandated to all contact center vendors that all contact center representatives should be Floridians.
Florida not ready to administer retroactive payments, pandemic benefits to those who have exhausted unemployment
Read full article: Florida not ready to administer retroactive payments, pandemic benefits to those who have exhausted unemploymentSince mid-March, Floridians unable to work due to the pandemic have struggled to receive unemployment benefits through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity website CONNECT or to speak to a human due to the volume of calls and applications. The state has paid more than $579 million in unemployment, more than half funded by federal pandemic aid. “The PEUC program provides up to 13 weeks of Reemployment Assistance benefits to individuals who have exhausted regular unemployment benefits under state or federal law or have no rights to regular unemployment benefits under state or federal law. He said it could be another five to seven days before those applications can be processed through the DEO CONNECT system. More than 266,000 people were declared ineligible and may qualify for federal benefits, according to the DEO dashboard.
Questions about Florida unemployment? Here’s your chance to ask
Read full article: Questions about Florida unemployment? Here’s your chance to askOn Thursday, two state senators will host a Facebook live with the official overseeing the state’s coronavirus unemployment response. The Facebook live will likely be flooded with questions for Department of Management Services Secretary John Satter. Ron DeSantis appointed Satter to step in and oversee the state’s unemployment surge. The state has paid more than $579 million in unemployment, more than half funded by federal pandemic aid. News 6 will also be listening in Thursday hoping to get responses to many unanswered questions.