Florida is moving forward with plans to buy and retrofit a massive warehouse in Central Florida as a staging area to respond to hurricanes and other emergencies.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference at the Hardee County Cattleman’s Arena near Wauchula.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to speak at the Florida State Fair.

News 6 has learned the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services seized approximately 5,000 pounds of raw and packaged tianeptine, or “gas station heroin,” and THC-O products on Oct. 10.

Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said state inspectors will continue surprise inspection sweeps to end the sale of “gas station heroin” in smoke shops and gas stations across the state.

Florida's agriculture commissioner placed the first sticker on a gas pump in the state Friday, which reads: "Never leave children or pets in a hot vehicle."

Florida’s new retail fuel theft legislation will go into effect on July 1, making the use of so-called pulsar price manipulators a second- or third-degree felony.

Several bills signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis aim at cracking down on Chinese Communist Party influence in Florida.

A plan to get rid of an agreement the Walt Disney Company made with the former governing body that oversaw Walt Disney World property is now in the Florida Senate.

State and federal officials say the threat of wildfires is growing in Florida over the coming weeks as more than half the state is experiencing severe to extreme drought conditions likely to persist until rainy season resumes around mid-May.

Make Ends Meet newsletter for March 29

Florida’s agricultural land has become a “national security issue” that needs to be protected for future generations, according to Florida’s new Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.

After taking office this month, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said Friday the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has dropped a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in a dispute involving information about a concealed-weapons license applicant.

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried’s decision to run for governor earlier means the cabinet seat is open for a new politician.

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried’s decision to run for governor earlier means the cabinet seat is open for a new politician.

Nikki Fried is leaving the Florida commissioner of agriculture seat to run for governor. Three Democrats vied to replace her in the Aug. 23 primary.

With Nikki Fried running to be Florida governor, the Florida commissioner of agriculture seat is open for a new occupant.

Days away from the primary election in Florida, and many candidates are turning to members of law enforcement to help turn out the vote.

With Nikki Fried running to be Florida governor, the Florida commissioner of agriculture seat is open for a new occupant.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is holding a news conference in Tampa.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference in The Villages.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday held a news conference at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach.

Thursday marks the third day in a row Florida has broken its all-time record for gas prices, soaring from $4.06 for a gallon of regular March 7 to now $4.35 on average, higher even than the national average of $4.32.

A push by Gov. Ron DeSantis to suspend the state’s gas tax for five months this summer and fall is stalling, as legislative leaders say they want to find other ways to help Floridians.

New maps likely to keep Republicans in power into the 2030s

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis holds a news conference in Brooksville.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, along with a group of Republican lawmakers and state law-enforcement officers, are heading to Texas Saturday to discuss security along the Mexican border with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a tax relief package into law that includes the state’s first-ever Freedom Week and extends the state’s Back to School tax-free period.

The state will receive at least $2.5 billion over the next five years and an estimated $20 billion over the course of the 30-year deal.

House and Senate leaders set the stage for a special legislative session to consider a gambling deal that Gov. Ron DeSantis hammered out with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order Monday morning in St. Petersburg suspending all remaining local emergency orders across Florida related to COVID-19.

Senate President Wilton Simpson, who has tried to nail down an agreement with the Seminoles, also met with pari-mutuel operators on Thursday. Cementing a perennially elusive deal remains a long shot, however, especially as Florida is set to receive billions of additional dollars in federal stimulus money. AdAfter meeting with the pari-mutuel operators, DeSantis indicated he is unlikely to look favorably on a deal that would harm them. AdSimpson said he and the pari-mutuel operators spoke in “generalities” about a possible framework of a compact. Sprowls and Simpson are “having a holistic conversation” about gambling in Florida, the speaker said.

The state Senate and House gaveled into session with members donning face masks on the floors of their respected chambers. Ron DeSantis said he would looking forward to working with lawmakers on the key issues facing their state. AdAlthough it was the first day of the session, lawmakers have been traveling to Tallahassee for weeks to begin committee hearings on the measures that could eventually make to the governor’s desk. While Republican lawmakers have signaled their support for the governor's initiatives, they will have their own priorities. “By prioritizing Big Tech companies, social media — that's not the priorities of the people of the state of the Florida.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s 29 Electoral College votes were cast for President Donald Trump during a ceremony in the Senate chamber on Monday. Secretary of State Laurel Lee conducted the vote Monday after three electors were named to replace three who couldn’t attend the ceremony. That included Senate President Wilton Simpson. Trump won Florida with 51.2% of the vote in last month’s election. The names of Florida’s electors are submitted to the governor by each political party.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida could outlaw drivers from putting on makeup, using smartphones, reading or other activities that distract them on the road. The Senate Innovation, Industry and Technology Committee unanimously approved a distracted driving bill Wednesday after hearing stories from people who have lost relatives in car crashes. Right now, it is illegal to text and drive in Florida, but drivers can only be ticketed if they are pulled over for another reason. The bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Wilton Simpson, would make distracted driving a primary offense, meaning law enforcement wouldn't need another reason to ticket a driver. If enacted, Florida would ease into the law by creating a three-month period where law enforcement would only give warnings.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The state House version of a new distracted driving bill had its first committee meeting Tuesday. The state Senate adaptation (SB 76) was approved around 4 p.m. Monday by the Senate’s Judiciary Committee. News 6 anchor Matt Austin has been one of the most outspoken proponents of the bipartisan bill. Austin told his story during a transportation and infrastructure subcommittee meeting Tuesday in Tallahassee. “This whole crisis we have in our state right now of texting and driving wound up in my back seat,” Austin said.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A state Senate committee has just approved the Senate’s version of a new distracted driving bill. Senate Bill 76 was approved around 4 p.m. Monday by the Senate’s Judiciary Committee. Floridians won't get a new distracted driving law yet as this is the third of four committee stops for the bill before it is voted on by the full Senate. Meanwhile, HB 107, the House version of the bill, will have its first committee meeting Tuesday. News 6 anchor Matt Austin will be live in Tallahassee on Tuesday evening starting at 4 p.m. to provide the latest on the committee meeting.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Three months before the official start of the 2019 Florida legislative session, two state politicians are wasting no time trying to toughen up Florida’s lax texting and driving law. Trilby’s bill, SB 76, is dubbed the “Florida Ban on Wireless Communications Devices While Driving Law.”Slosberg’s bill, HB 45, has a much simpler name: the “Hands-Free Florida Law.”“The No. Last year the Florida House passed its version of a tougher distracted driving bill but the Senate version stalled in the Senate Appropriations Committee, which was chaired by Republican State Sen. For the third year in a row, Slosberg has sponsored anti-texting and driving legislation. Georgia recently passed a similar hands-free-only bill that went into effect on July 1.