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.

Florida’s tourism marketing agency says the state’s tourism economy is well on the road to recovery.

Starting soon, feel free to flash away — but only on the highway.

Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature has approved stiffer penalties against violent protesters.

Legislation that would increase penalties against violent protestors is heading for a vote in the Florida Senate.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Law enforcement officers, state employees and 911 operators with access to the Driver And Vehicle Information Database will face stiffer penalties for misusing the system under legislation that cleared its final Senate committee Thursday. Current misuse of the system results in a $500 fine, but the bill would raise financial penalties for violations up to $2,000. The driver database, commonly known as DAVID, allows those with access to fetch driver and motor vehicle information that can help law enforcement agencies with traffic investigations. She received harassing phone calls and later found that 88 officers from 25 different agencies used DAVID to access her personal information. “And let’s see if we can encourage folks not to misuse this data system.”AdThe legislation also requires law enforcement agencies to include training on the proper use of the DAVID system in initial and ongoing training for officers with access to the database.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – For the first time in almost 20 years, a Florida governor is recommending the state spend every dollar in the affordable housing trust fund for just that -- affordable housing. Funding for Florida’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund comes from the tax on documents when someone buys a home. “We have high housing prices, not enough inventory,” said Jamie Ross, CEO of the Florida Housing Coalition. For every $48 the Legislature has spent from the trust fund on housing, $52 has gone to something else. State Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Fla., wants to stop future raids on the trust fund.

AdSpecifically, Visit Florida believes an estimated 3.236 million overseas visitors is about 400,000 too high. The hospitality and leisure industries handled 82.315 million visitors in 2010 and 87.307 million in 2011. “No one is going to argue that tourism is not the largest industry in the state of Florida. Visit Florida is not one of those vital roles, “Suderman said. According to the Visit Florida numbers, the state drew an estimated 20.62 million visitors in the fourth quarter of 2020, down 33.1 percent from the prior year.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Transportation is expecting major budget losses in the coming years as a result of the pandemic. When asked what areas might be facing cuts to make up for pandemic revenue losses, Senate Budget Chair Kelli Stargel was blunt. That includes the rise of electric vehicles, which will mean less revenue from taxes on gasoline, the primary source of revenue for the Department of Transportation. So whether cuts are made to transportation or another sector, tough decisions lie ahead. The Department of Transportation said despite the loss of revenue, it will prioritize safety and preservation related projects.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s unemployment system was back online Monday after three days offline to process claims and to be upgraded. Florida’s unemployment website technology is now being called “a jalopy” or “clunker” by Gov. At $275 a week for just 12 weeks, Florida has some of the stingiest benefits in the country. For the third time in a month, a handful of cars with signs critical of the state’s unemployment system circled the DEO headquarters with horns blowing on Monday. Last week, the state agreed to make payments retroactive to March 9, or the day someone was laid off.

Visit Florida is not one of those vital roles." Ron DeSantis' administration has asked lawmakers for $50 million to fund Visit Florida during the upcoming 2020-2021 fiscal year. "Visit Florida, like all other agencies and programs, is competing for limited resources. "For example, no one can argue that the Department of Children and Families request for an additional $275 million should take a backseat to Visit Florida. But Visit Florida also has an inverse result to funding pattern that clearly indicates zero correlation between Visit funding and the number of tourists visiting our state.