Latest Florida state government News

Florida rivals ask courts to stop online sports gambling off tribal lands

Mar. 15, 2024 16:49 PM EDT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida will be raking in hundreds of millions of dollars from online sports betting this decade, thanks to a compact between the tribe and Gov. Ron DeSantis that gave the tribe exclusive rights to run sports wagers as well as...

The Supreme Court won't intervene in a dispute over drag shows at a public university in Texas

Mar. 15, 2024 14:32 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday rejected an emergency appeal from a student group that has been blocked from staging a drag show at a public university in Texas. The justices did not comment Friday in refusing to issue an order that would have allowed Spectrum WT —...

Editorial Roundup: Florida

Mar. 13, 2024 19:40 PM EDT

South Florida Sun Sentinel. March 11, 2024. Editorial: Start flexing some veto muscle, Gov. DeSantis They sabotaged the Commission on Ethics. They protected rogue cops from civilian review boards. They invited unqualified chaplains into public schools. ...

DeSantis orders Florida resources to stop Haitian migrants despite no sign of increased activity

Mar. 13, 2024 17:16 PM EDT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, anticipating what his office called the “possibility for invasion," ordered more than 250 law enforcement officers and soldiers to the Florida Keys on Wednesday to stop Haitian migrants fleeing violence — or nearly two people deployed for...

What to know about a settlement that clarifies what's legal under Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' law

Mar. 12, 2024 15:30 PM EDT

The Florida law labeled by critics as “ Don't Say Gay ” is remaining in place under a settlement reached this week between the state and parents, students, teachers and advocacy groups who challenged it in court. But the fallout that gave it that nickname is nixed under the deal....

Veteran Miami prosecutor quits after judge's rebuke over conjugal visits for jailhouse informants

Mar. 08, 2024 21:51 PM EST

MIAMI, Florida (AP) — A veteran prosecutor in Miami has resigned after a judge found that state investigators manipulated witnesses, including possibly providing conjugal visits to jailhouse informants in exchange for their testimony, in a high-profile death penalty case against a notorious gang...

With DeSantis back from Iowa, Florida passes $117B budget on final day of 2024 session

Mar. 08, 2024 18:21 PM EST

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Lawmakers often save the most important issue for the final day of their annual session. This year in Florida, that meant raising the age for strippers to 21. Oh, and they also passed a $117 billion state budget. But unlike the previous two...

Social media ban for minors less restrictive in Florida lawmakers' second attempt

Mar. 06, 2024 19:51 PM EST

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Less than a week after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a social media ban for minors, Florida lawmakers sent him a new version on Wednesday that’s expected to withstand his scrutiny. The House passed the bill on a 109-4 vote, completing Republican...

Editorial Roundup: Florida

Mar. 06, 2024 15:08 PM EST

South Florida Sun Sentinel. March 4, 2024. Editorial: Florida anti-free speech bill would chill robust debate There are no lessons learned in the Florida Legislature. Prodded by their hostility toward the “liberal media,” lawmakers tried last year...

The trip to Margaritaville can soon be made on the Jimmy Buffett Highway

Mar. 05, 2024 17:08 PM EST

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Iconic Florida singer Jimmy Buffet named one of his albums “A1A” in honor of the coastal highway that winds through about 340 miles (545 kilometers) along the state's Atlantic Coast, and now Florida is about to return the honor. State Highway A1A will...