Crime victims, loved ones head to Tally to fight for new laws
Dozens of people who are survivors of crime or have loved ones who are crime victims boarded a bus Tuesday morning and headed up to Tallahassee.
Florida House bill amendment would allow schools to 'out' students to their parents
Florida’s so-called "Don’t Say Gay" bill includes a new proposed amendment that would force schools to out students about their sexual orientation to their parents, causing more concern from those in the LGBTQ community.
Florida House passes 15-week abortion limit bill
Florida House members passed a bill that would prohibit doctors from performing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, one of the most hotly debated issues of the 2022 legislative session. Next, a Senate committee will take up the bill.
Florida school districts that mandated masks could lose $200M in state funding under GOP plan
Florida lawmakers in the House want to shift $200 million in funding away from the 12 school districts — including Hillsborough and Sarasota — that required students to wear masks last year, defying Gov. DeSantis' executive order banning mask mandates.
Florida Legislature passes bill to help shield health care providers from COVID-19 lawsuits
The Florida Legislature has passed a bill to extend legal protections for hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers, helping to shield them from COVID-19 lawsuits involving such issues as transmission and treatment of the virus. The bill now goes to Gov. DeSantis for his signature.
Controversial 'don't say gay' bill gets approval from Florida's Senate Education Committee
A controversial bill in the Florida Legislature, dubbed the "don't say gay" bill by critics, has passed its first hurdle in the Senate after the Republican-dominated education committee voted to approve the measure along party lines.
Challenge to Florida's controversial transgender athlete ban put on hold
A challenge to a controversial state law that bans transgender females from participating on girls’ and women’s sports teams has been put on hold while another Florida case plays out in a federal appeals court.
Pence says Trump wrong in saying VP could overturn election
Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday directly rebutted Donald Trump's false claims that Pence somehow could have overturned the results of the 2020 election, saying that the former president was simply "wrong."
Florida Senate passes bills on addiction, child hearing aid coverage
While Democratic and Republican Florida lawmakers have had a contentious debate on several matters, the two sides came together to quickly pass 20 bills Thursday, almost all unanimously.
Florida House OKs bill to keep identity of lottery winners a secret for 3 months
People who win $250,000 or more in the Florida Lottery could choose to keep their identities secret for 90 days under a bill overwhelmingly passed by the House on Wednesday.
Strawberry shortcake could soon become part of Florida law
We may be known for citrus, but do not worry, there is no food fight here. Key lime pie is already Florida’s state pie. This session, lawmakers are debating which dessert is named the state’s official post-dinner treat.
Florida House Republicans pass redrawn legislative maps
The Florida House on Wednesday approved new legislative districts over the objections of Democrats, who anticipate legal challenges about minority representation and how the lines were drawn.
Protesters outside home of Brian Laundrie's parents could have faced charges under bill advancing in Florida
Scenes have unfolded at the home of Brian Laundrie's parents, a home owned by Derek Chauvin, the officer who killed George Floyd, and by anti-maskers at the home of a Brevard County school board member. Those protests could become illegal under a law advancing in the Florida Legislature.
Florida election police bill clears Senate committee
A voting law package was approved Tuesday in a Florida Senate committee that would establish a police unit for election crimes.
Brian Laundrie protests inspire Florida bill that would make demonstrations outside homes illegal
Protesters picketed for weeks outside the North Port home belonging to Brian Laundrie's parents, even after his remains were found in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park. A new bill in the Florida Legislature aims to make such protests outside of homes illegal.
President Trump tried to seize voting machines during 2020 election, report says
About six weeks after President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, he told his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani to contact the Department of Homeland Security to ask if the department could lawfully seize voting machines in key swing states, according to a report in The New York Times.
Strawberry shortcake one step closer to becoming Florida's official state dessert
The strawberry shortcake could soon become the official dessert of Florida. The Florida Senate unanimously approved a bill to make it a reality.
Florida Senate passes bill that would shield churches from emergency order shutdowns
The Florida Senate approved a bill that would prevent government emergency orders from shutting down churches and other religious institutions as long as businesses are allowed to stay open. "If Publix is open, so is your place of worship," the bill's sponsor said. The measure must still pass the House.
Florida bill would give parents control over library books, instructional material in elementary schools
A bill moving through the Florida legislature would allow the public to weigh in on library books and other instructional materials inside the classroom.
Florida senator fights back over nude images stolen from her; introduces bill to strengthen revenge porn law
Florida State. Sen. Lauren Book says someone is trying to extort her by threatening to reveal nude images that were stolen from her. Worse, she found out the images have been bought and traded online since 2020. Now she's fighting back by introducing a new bill to toughen Florida's revenge porn law to keep others from becoming victims.