INSIDER
A proposed amendment to the House tax package (HB 7033) would override existing statutes, enabling counties to access TDT funds for general use rather than strictly for tourism-related projects.
Homeowners in Florida would be allowed to use “reasonable force” against surveillance drones under a new bill pushed by lawmakers.
A bill to require hospitals to test some patients for the presence of fentanyl in their systems passed the Florida Legislature and is now headed to the governor.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called out the proposed Florida House budget that he says reverses “all the momentum” in supporting law enforcement across the state.
The bill includes a variety of different kinds of tax breaks, including sales taxes, property taxes, and even a credit for car registrations.
The chairman of a foundation tied to Hope Florida aid under oath Tuesday that “mistakes were made” with the foundation’s record keeping, as a skirmish over the group’s finances continued to escalate.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis finally added “Gulf of America” to the state’s lexicon on Monday after signing two new bills into law.
With the Florida Legislature finally in the swing of things, one proposed bill could have a big impact on households with a tree in their yard.
This week, Florida state lawmakers are set to discuss a proposed bill that would get rid of sales taxes for some items that Florida residents use every day.
Amid an escalating feud between Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled House, the chamber’s budget chairman on Friday sent letters to six state agencies seeking a broad array of documents as part of a probe into government spending.
A bill aimed at preventing a return of efforts to build golf courses, pickleball courts and resorts in state parks is ready to go to the full Florida House.
Gov. Ron DeSantis issued the executive order calling for a special election to fill the seat left vacant by the unexpected death of State Sen. Geraldine Thompson in February. A special primary election will be held on June 24, with a special general election on Sept. 2.
Building on a years-long effort to make it harder to change the state Constitution, the Florida House on Thursday approved a controversial measure that would impose new requirements on the ballot initiative process and increase penalties for wrongdoing.
Florida lawmakers are pushing for a new proposal that would provide landlords with property tax exemptions for their rental properties.
The Republican primaries for Florida Senate District 19 and Florida House District 32 are part of a cascade of special elections brought on when Florida Sen. Randy Fine resigned his SD-19 seat, effective April 1, to run for the U.S. House District 6 special election.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took to social media on Thursday to go after state lawmakers after they overrode some of his vetoes from last year’s budget.
The proposal would get rid of the Lieutenant Governor position and the Government Efficiency Task Force, instead replacing them with a COGE.
A Florida bill aimed at carving out exceptions to the state’s minimum wage law made further headway through the Florida Legislature this week.
The House Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee backs an amendment to HB 567 that would raise the speed limit on limited access highways, like I-4 or I-95.
A year after lawmakers relaxed the state’s child labor laws, a divided Florida Senate panel on Tuesday gave initial approval to a measure that would further roll back work restrictions for kids as young as 14.
A special election has not been set yet to fill the vacancy left in the Florida Senate by Sen. Geraldine Thompson’s death. But on Friday State Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis said she would run to take the job.
One of the latest Florida amendment proposals aimed at cutting property taxes gained legs on Thursday after it passed through a House committee meeting.
SB 150 is also known as “Trooper’s Law,” named after the dog that was found tied to a fence along I-4 hours before Hurricane Milton made landfall. If passed, Trooper's Law would make restraining a dog outside during a natural disaster punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
Florida lawmakers have hit snooze on a repeal of later school start times for middle and high schools, revising the House and Senate versions of the bill to keep the new times but adding exemptions for schools that aren’t yet able to comply.
SB 462 is a package of changes to transportation law. Before the bill’s first committee hearing, the sponsor added a new provision: raising the speed limit from 70 mph on a major highway or expressway to 75 mph.
The legislation would give adoption shelters a way to screen prospective pet owners, which could help improve the ability of these groups to find safe homes for animals.
The Florida Association of Counties, which represents county governments in Tallahassee, is tracking more than 50 bills, filed by both Democrats and Republicans, that they say preempt local rules in favor of one statewide regulation.
Monday afternoon, a state Senate committee is set to discuss a bill that aims to make changes regarding land use and development regulations in Florida.
Measures approved by voters in 2024 to tighten development in rural areas of two Central Florida counties would be banned under a bill currently in the Florida Senate. State Sen. Stan McClain, R-Ocala, is sponsoring SB 1118, which proposes changes to land use and development regulations.
Following a new law last year aimed at helping homeowners get rid of squatters, Florida lawmakers are now pushing to expand those rules.
Florida lawmakers advanced a bill that would, among other things, ban automatic gratuity and service charges for parties of fewer than six guests at restaurants, cafes and other food service establishments.
The Florida House bill would shift property insurance lawsuits to a “loser pays” fee system. If a policyholder sues an insurer, the judge would award attorney fees to whichever side prevails in the case. The 2022 property insurance bill shielded insurers from paying customer attorney fees.
In a state so often divided along partisan lines, Democrats and Republicans alike were moved to tears as they gathered in the Florida capitol Thursday to honor the life and legacy of Democratic state Sen. Geraldine Thompson, a longtime legislator, civil rights legend and educator who died on Feb. 13 at the age of 76.
Lawmakers argued that more granny flats could bring down the cost of housing in Florida, bringing a big boost to low-income workers.
A House panel on Tuesday unanimously signed off on a proposal that would make further changes to condominium safety laws requiring inspections of older buildings and adequate reserves for repairs.
Property taxes have been a hot-button issue in Florida lately, and many of the proposals being tossed about by lawmakers reflect that fact.
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.
