Latest Florida state government News

Struggles continue for thousands in Florida 8 months after Hurricane Ian as new storm season looms

May. 29, 2023 16:29 PM EDT

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Eight months ago, chef Michael Cellura had a restaurant job and had just moved into a fancy new camper home on Fort Myers Beach. Now, after Hurricane Ian swept all that away, he lives in his older Infiniti sedan with a 15-year-old long-haired chihuahua named Ginger....

As South Carolina governor signs new law, abortion restrictions strain providers in US South

May. 25, 2023 13:07 PM EDT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A wave of newly approved abortion restrictions in the Southeastern United States has sent providers scrambling to reconfigure their services for a region with already severely limited access. Stiff limitations enacted in South Carolina and pending in North...

What's on DeSantis' agenda? A look at the laws he passed as Florida governor, from abortion to guns

May. 24, 2023 15:40 PM EDT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — From the death penalty to gender identity to abortion, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has cemented himself as a conservative standard-bearer in the lead-up to his 2024 presidential announcement. With the help of GOP supermajorities in the statehouse, the...

Editorial Roundup: Florida

May. 24, 2023 07:15 AM EDT

Palm Beach Post. May 18, 2023. Editorial: We ask the experts when property insurance bills will drop. The answer’s bad. We asked the experts. In a meeting this week with leaders of the Insurance Information Institute, The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board asked how...

DeSantis appoints Cuban-American female appellate judge to Florida Supreme Court

May. 23, 2023 13:43 PM EDT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed a Cuban-American woman to the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday, marking the first time in history the court will have three women as sitting justices. The Republican governor chose Meredith Sasso to replace Ricky Polston, who...

DeSantis signs bills targeting drag shows, transgender kids and the use of bathrooms and pronouns

May. 22, 2023 12:23 PM EDT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed bills Wednesday that ban gender-affirming care for minors, target drag shows, restrict discussion of personal pronouns in schools and force people to use certain bathrooms. DeSantis has made anti-LGBTQ+ legislation a large...

With all the politics and maneuvering, how is life in Florida changing for its residents?

May. 22, 2023 11:37 AM EDT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — “Don't say gay.” Regulation of books and classroom discussion. Teachers, parents and school librarians all navigating new and uncertain ground. LGBTQ+ rights under attack. A very public spat between state government and Disney. And at the center of it all is a...

Meet the influential new player on transgender health bills

May. 20, 2023 18:08 PM EDT

Do No Harm, a nonprofit that launched last year to oppose diversity initiatives in medicine, has evolved into a significant leader in statehouses seeking to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youths, producing model legislation that an Associated Press analysis found has been used in at...

Here are the restrictions on transgender people that are moving forward in US statehouses

May. 19, 2023 17:56 PM EDT

A federal judge is considering whether to block Florida's ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth, as bills targeting the rights of trans people are being embraced by Republican governors and statehouses across the country. The restrictions are spreading quickly...

Editorial Roundup: New York

May. 18, 2023 07:23 AM EDT

New York Post. May 16, 2023. Editorial: Zap the worthless $64m Cuomo-era Excelsior vax app If Ben Franklin were alive in the computer era, he’d’ve said: “Nothing can be certain, except death and taxes — and the inability of any government to run an IT project...