INSIDER
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.
Central Florida faces a stark “math problem” when it comes to addressing homelessness. Available resources simply don’t add up to meet the demand. The challenge has been further complicated by new legislation known as the Florida Homelessness Reduction Act, which went into effect last October.
Next month, Central Floridians will be able to meet all of their lawmakers in one room and tell them what they want the Florida Legislature to do. Here's how.
Fiscal belt-tightening is coming in Tallahassee, according to Florida’s new legislative leaders who took their oaths of office Tuesday.
Incoming House Speaker Daniel Perez on Thursday rolled out changes to House committees, while saying lawmakers have “spent taxpayer funds excessively and indiscriminately in the last few years.”
Incumbent Republican State Rep. Carolina Amesty has officially been unseated by Democrat Leonard Spencer in the race for Florida House of Representatives’ District 45 seat.
Viewers say insurance costs, particularly property and auto insurance, but also health insurance were a top issue informing their vote this election in Florida. So what do the candidates for the Florida House and Senate think about insurance policy in the state?
The city of Orlando on Monday joined the growing number of county and city governments opting out of a state law that is supposed to bring more affordable housing to communities.
Incumbent Republican State Rep. Carolina Amesty is up against Democrat Leonard Spencer for the Florida House of Representatives’ District 45 seat.
The amendment, if passed, would change the way some property taxes are calculated for Florida homeowners who have a homestead exemption. The amendment needs approval from 60% of Florida voters to pass. Here's what happens if it does.
Saying the restriction is “fully consistent” with “historical tradition,” lawyers for Florida are urging an Atlanta-based appeals court to uphold a law preventing people under age 21 from purchasing rifles and other long guns.
As news broke Thursday about State Rep. Carolina Amesty’s indictment and arrest on forgery charges, questions immediately arose about whether the Windermere Republican would resign or be suspended from office.
Margaritaville Orlando's first-ever Jimmy Buffet Day will feature live music, family activities, raffles, and giveaways including a 2-night resort stay.
After reviewing his records, Make Ends Meet confirmed salesperson David Catalano’s account is active and eligible for $3,300, but is on hold due to a “pending issue awaiting adjudication determination.”
Republican Rep. Cory Mills will face Democrat Jennifer Adams in the November election for U.S. House District 7.
Working outdoors in Central Florida is more than just exhausting, it's dangerous. Apopka has many farms that hire workers to be outdoors in extreme heat.
In his veto letter, DeSantis explained that local governments already have zoning powers, and expressed concerns that the bill could promote housing for illegal migrants.
A controversial bill that creates a kind of “stand your ground” defense for shooting Florida black bears on a person’s property is now a law, along with a bill to make it tougher to file ethics complaints and 12 other bills that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Friday night.
A bill that would have banned left-lane “campers” on Florida highways will not become law after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed it and two other bills Friday.
A federal judge has blocked a 2023 Florida law that required municipal elected officials to disclose detailed information about their personal finances, ruling that the law likely violated First Amendment rights.
A federal judge has struck down part of a Florida law regarding gender-affirming care this week, calling it unconstitutional and claiming it was created based on animus, not a legitimate state interest.
In what could be one of this year’s highest-profile legislative primary elections, former St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar has opened a campaign account to run for a seat that will be vacated by term-limited Sen. Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, according to News 6's partners at WJXT in Jacksonville.
Florida homeowners living in HOA communities may be able to take a breath this summer. A new law going into effect July 1 could give them some of their freedom back.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed eight more measures passed by the Florida Legislature into law on Friday.
Florida law dictates how tourist tax dollars can be used, and lawmakers have been reticent to make changes.
Laws passed in several Republican-controlled states after the 2020 presidential election have criminalized much of the work done by voter outreach groups.
Progressive civic groups have challenged how four congressional districts and seven state House districts in South Florida were drawn by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature.
A new law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis this week increases penalties for street racing and “coordinated street takeovers” that involve 10 or more vehicles.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke in Naples Tuesday afternoon at a wetlands research center, a day after announcing funding for environmental upgrades.
With two months to go before the deadline to qualify to run for office, a Florida Senate seat in Orange County is shaping up to be a battle between two heavyweights in the Black community.
The state of Florida has paused a program that shipped migrants to other parts of the country because it was not getting enough volunteers.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping education reform bill that includes, among other things, limits on the number of book challenges a person can make if they are not a parent of a student in a school district.
A three-judge federal panel Wednesday rejected a constitutional challenge to a congressional redistricting plan that Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed through the Legislature in 2022, saying opponents did not prove lawmakers acted with “racially discriminatory purpose.”
On Friday, Florida lawmakers approved a bill that would raise the age limit for adult entertainers and push back against human trafficking efforts.
In an issue stemming from complaints about bears in Northwest Florida, the state House on Thursday gave final approval to a bill that would bolster self-defense arguments for people who kill bears on their property.
A bill headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis would put new money in the coffers of a popular Florida program to help homeowners pay for hurricane-related home improvements.
The Florida Legislature passed a final version of a bill that would allow the state fire marshal to create new rules regarding the storage of lithium-ion batteries, something a News 6 investigation showed is sorely needed in the state.
The bill would require public schools to teach about the history of communist groups in the U.S. and abroad, as well as the problems with communist principles.
A controversial proposal designed to prevent homeless people from sleeping in public places while requiring local governments to address the issue is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
A new version of the measure to force children off social media passed the Florida Senate Monday, setting up a final vote in the Florida House before the end of the legislative session this week.
Restitution for decades of abuse at two now-shuttered reform schools where boys were beaten, raped and killed is now in the hands of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The issue gained traction last year after Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith complained about several bear encounters in the area.
While the issue has not moved forward in the Senate, the Florida House on Friday passed a controversial bill that would lower the minimum age from 21 to 18 to buy rifles and shotguns.
With a Friday deadline looming, House Speaker Paul Renner said Wednesday that he and Gov. Ron DeSantis are trying to work out differences on a bill aimed at keeping children under age 16 off social-media platforms.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday morning signed a bill in Palm Beach that he said would greenlight the disclosure of grand jury materials regarding the Jeffrey Epstein case that are nearly two decades old.
A controversial proposal to loosen work restrictions for 16- and 17-year-olds is ready to go to the full Senate after changes Monday night drew at least some labor-union support.
A Florida bill to allow people to file wrongful death lawsuits over the death of a fetus is being shelved because of the political fallout from an Alabama Supreme Court decision that frozen embryos are legally protected children.
The Florida State Fire Marshal’s office will be able to create new rules for safely storing lithium-ion batteries under bills now headed for votes before the full Florida House and Senate.
The state would have to provide training to law enforcement officers on how to interact with people who have Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia under a bill the Florida House approved.
The transcripts of a 2006 grand jury that investigated Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual assaults of underage girls would be released to the public under a bill heading to Florida’s governor after it was unanimously passed by the Legislature.
A tax package that began moving forward Tuesday in the Senate and a revised tax proposal in the House could provide some assistance to homeowners with property-insurance costs.
A Florida Senate panel on Thursday revamped a bill aimed at keeping children under age 16 off social media, as a debate continued about the proposal’s constitutionality and whether it would infringe on parental rights.
Controversial bills aimed at preventing local governments from removing historical monuments and restricting the types of flags flown at schools and other public buildings appear to be dead in the Florida Senate.
A local bill meant to reduce violence and get results for kids in and out of the classroom is making its way through committees in Tallahassee.
Should it be harder for a ballot initiative to pass in Florida?Right now for an amendment to be enshrined in the Florida Constitution, it needs to be approved by 60% of the state’s voters. But Florida lawmakers are proposing to increase that threshold to 66.67%. To do that, they’d need to ask voters via a ballot initiative.
On Tuesday, lawmakers in a Florida House committee voted for a massive public education bill — HB 7025. Among its provisions, the bill allows school districts to impose a $100 “processing fee” for failed book challenges.
The Florida State Guard, revived by Gov. Ron DeSantis, could operate outside Florida and be called into service anytime he “deemed necessary,” under a bill approved Thursday by a House panel.
A bill banning social media for Florida children under 16 will be heard in the Florida Senate, according to the chamber’s president.
Parents and relatives caring for medically fragile children 21 years of age and younger will have to wait to apply for medical training and financial compensation provided under a new state law approved in the last legislative session.
A bill that would restrict Florida teens from using social media appeared headed for passage in the Florida House after a second reading of the bill on Tuesday.
A bill that would loosen work rules and allow 16 and 17-year-olds to work more hours is headed for a full vote on the Florida House floor.
A bill in the Florida Senate would create a grant program to pay for the legal bills of “victims of political discrimination” who are running for president. Supporters in particular say the bill would help former President Donald Trump.
The Florida House is poised to pass a bill aimed at preventing children under age 16 from using social media, as parts of the tech industry argue the measure could be unconstitutional and create data privacy concerns.
Florida Republicans advanced a bill Wednesday that would ban teachers from wearing a rainbow flag lapel pin in public schools and universities.
The Florida Board of Education has implemented new regulations that it says will restrict the use of public funds for DEI programs within Florida College System institutions.
Voters in parts of Orange and Osceola counties can go to early voting locations starting Saturday and choose their candidate for Florida House District 35.
The Florida Senate on Wednesday passed a suite of bills aimed at “deregulation” of public schools, with one measure undergoing a significant change that nixed a provision related to the state’s third-grade literacy policy after it was heavily criticized by former Gov. Jeb Bush.
A controversial proposal that would loosen regulations on the numbers of hours that 16-year-old and 17-year-old Floridians can work continued moving through the state House on Wednesday.
As Florida's population has rapidly increased over the years, demand for housing has reached an all-time high and the supply of affordable housing has not kept up.
People would be allowed to kill bears on their property without permits if they feel threatened but would face more rules about reporting the incidents, under a proposal that received an initial approval Wednesday in the Florida Senate.
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivered messages about California, New York and President Joe Biden during his State of the State address.
Florida is the most expensive state for homeowners insurance premiums in the country, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
Florida’s annual legislative session starts Tuesday. The session only lasts 60 days and in that time lawmakers will consider over 1,600 bills, with no duty to pass any of them save one — the budget.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ upcoming State of the State address is supposed to be about Florida’s future.
Voters in parts of Orange and Osceola counties can go to early voting locations starting Saturday and choose their candidate for Florida House District 35.
Orange County lawmakers Friday backed a longshot proposal that could essentially return to the Walt Disney Co. control of a special taxing district that was revamped after Gov. Ron DeSantis got into a feud with the entertainment giant.
