Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has announced charges against seven suspects accused in an organized retail theft ring targeting Home Depot stores, including locations in Duval and St. Johns counties.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson emphasized the importance of returning whole milk to Florida schools following a federal rollback of a previous skim milk mandate.

Florida’s attorney general announced on Monday that all trucking weigh stations will now serve as immigration checkpoints.

Florida’s attorney general announced on Monday that all trucking weigh stations will now serve as immigration checkpoints.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier will hold a news conference at Tampa General Hospital on Wednesday.

Word is Casey DeSantis is seriously considering a run to succeed her husband as governor, which raises some intriguing questions and could revive the rivalry between President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis over who is the real kingmaker in Florida

A new poll from the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab (PORL) asked more than 800 active registered voters across Florida what their biggest concerns were, and most said the cost of housing and insurance.

Damages to farmers and ranchers from Hurricane Milton may double the statewide agricultural destruction from three other storms that pummeled Florida since August 2023, according to state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Wilton Simpson.

At a news conference at the Hardee County Cattleman’s Arena, Wednesday Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation to prohibit the sale of lab-grown meat in Florida.

The Florida Cabinet returned to an all-Republican lineup Tuesday as outgoing Senate President Wilton Simpson was elected agriculture commissioner and Attorney General Ashley Moody and state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis won second terms.

Primary voters chose Republican Wilton Simpson and Democrat Naomi Blemur to compete for the commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in November’s general election.

A federal judge in Tallahassee has ruled that Florida lawmakers overstepped their authority last year concerning an election reform law.

Gov. Ron DeSantis voiced support Wednesday morning for a Republican-led bill that would ban most abortions in Florida after 15 weeks of pregnancy and signaled that he would sign it if it landed on his desk.

Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by Florida Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson to sign legislation that will protect Floridians from losing their jobs due to COVID-19 vaccine mandates and protect parents’ rights to make healthcare decisions for students.

While Gov. Ron DeSantis said people shouldn’t “read too much into” the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to block a Texas law that bans almost all abortions, Republican legislative leaders indicated Thursday they will determine if Florida can enact similar restrictions.

Florida could add 134,700 jobs, lower the number of uninsured residents by 852,000 and pump billions of additional federal dollars into the economy if it would expand Medicaid to low-income adults without children, according to a report released Thursday.

The Florida Legislature approved bills that will make it more difficult to vote, create tough penalties for violent protests, shield businesses from COVID-19 lawsuits, ban transgenders from girls’ sports and make it more difficult for citizens to change the constitution.

An effort that would have allowed Floridians to regain ownership of the personal information companies collect has stalled.

State lawmakers have wrapped up their work for the 2021 legislative session agreeing on a historic $101.5 billion budget.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has reached an agreement with the Seminole Tribe that would greatly expand gambling in state, including the introduction of legalized sports wagering.

Tens of millions of dollars in tax breaks could be in our future.

The bill has been controversial for the penalties it would impose on protesters and support is split along party lines.

The Florida Senate unanimously passed a $95 billion budget and will now have to work out differences with the House.

With work continuing to prevent a potentially catastrophic collapse of a reservoir wall, the Florida Senate will consider a budget amendment Wednesday to spend as much as $200 million to clean up the site of a former phosphate plant in Manatee County.

The Florida Senate is using some creative procedural maneuvering to resurrect the controversial “anti-riot” bill and the move is drawing criticism from Republicans and Democrats.

A plan to shutter up to four state prisons is alarming officials in Florida’s rural regions where correctional institutions have played an outsized role in providing jobs and supporting businesses for decades.

Both chambers of the Florida Legislature are taking up their respective budget proposals during floor sessions this week.

Senate President Wilton Simpson said Thursday he will use a procedural maneuver to ensure that a controversial law-and-order proposal pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis starts moving in the Senate.

Ron DeSantis said Monday that he would issue an executive order forbidding local governments and businesses from requiring so-called “vaccine passports” to show proof that customers have been inoculated against the coronavirus. While the governor has previously spoken out against “vaccine passports,” he said he would take the additional step of forbidding businesses from refusing to serve people who can’t prove they have been vaccinated. The governor has rejected mask mandates and has used his executive authority to preempt local governments from enforcing such measures. AdThe “vaccine passports” are expected to be free, be available through smartphone apps, be printable and have a scannable code that’s similar to an airline boarding pass. DeSantis said allowing governments and businesses to require proof of vaccinations would be “an unprecedented expansion” of public and private power.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida businesses, governments and healthcare providers will be protected from coronavirus lawsuits if they made a good effort to follow guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 under a bill signed by Republican Gov. The legislation was the first bill to go to the governor during the 60-day legislative session that began March 2. In order for a lawsuit to move ahead, a plaintiff would have to show that the defendant deliberately ignored guidelines. DeSantis had a live band playing a cover version of The Beatles “With a Little Help from My Friends” in the Cabinet meeting room before he signed the bill. They said the language in the bill and need to prove gross negligence will make it difficult to bring a case forward.

DeSantis contends the state is getting about $2 billion less than it would be if the federal government used past stimulus funding formulas. In terms of infrastructure, DeSantis wants to spend $1 billion on top of money he proposed earlier to address sea-level rise over a four-year period. Ad“It’s going to be $2 billion over that four-year period,” DeSantis said Tuesday, as he announced the additional money. DeSantis, who had already requested that Visit Florida receive $50 million for marketing next fiscal year, proposed another $50 million for the agency Tuesday. The fund, which was created for job training and public infrastructure projects, was vetoed last year as DeSantis cut $1 billion from the budget.

The Florida Capitol is expected to remain largely closed to the public for the rest of the legislative session because of the COVID-19 pandemic. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Capitol is expected to remain largely closed to the public for the rest of the legislative session because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as lawmakers get more comfortable meeting face to face. “I don’t think everyone in this building will be vaccinated in the next seven weeks,” Simpson said last week. “We’re going to ask for limited staff attendance, I don’t think every legislator needs to bring one of their staffers in,” Farmer said Friday. People that want to speak before Senate committees must go to the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, a few blocks west of the Capitol at Florida State University, and appear through a livestream.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Limits on the amount of THC in medical marijuana would be imposed under a bill approved by its first House committee Tuesday morning. The bill aims to prevent medical marijuana from being treated as a recreational drug, but opponents argue there’s no justification for the measure. State Rep. Spencer Roach likens what he’s seeing now in the state’s medical marijuana industry to the practices that preceded the opioid crisis. He’s sponsoring a bill that would restrict the THC levels in medical marijuana products to 10% for whole flower and 60% for other products. This is a safe, effective medicine and when it is used under the medical marijuana program.

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. – Coronavirus, budget questions, anti-riot legislation and an attempt to reign in large technology companies will be among issues lawmakers will take up in their 60-day session that begins Tuesday. More than 2,500 bills have been filed ahead of the 2021 session. The budget is the only bill lawmakers are required to pass, and lawmakers won’t get the latest revenue estimates until after session starts. Ron DeSantis proposed a $96.6 billion for the fiscal year that begins July 1, or $4.3 billion more than the current budget. Reductions will be necessary.”A priority for DeSantis, Sprowls and Simpson is passing protections for businesses and health care facilities that would shield them from COVID-19 lawsuits.

While some students likely moved to virtual or homeschooling, others simply were not participating at all last year and some lawmakers are pushing for more accountability from parents. AdHe said Florida superintendents have done their best to try and get kids back in the system, but they need more tools to hold parents accountable. “Parents know their kids are supposed to go to school. AdAnd while most districts saw a decline in enrollment last year, three counties actually saw more students than they’d anticipated. Florida Virtual School also saw more than 14,000 additional students.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A proposal that would require more online sellers to collect Florida sales taxes and turn the money over to the state will appear Monday before the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee. Many out-of-state online retailers have not collected and remitted the taxes. House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, reiterated in November that, “I rule out tax increases,” before noting the online “sales tax already exists.”Gruters filed a similar measure for the 2020 legislative session, but it did not get through Senate committees. A task force led by officials from Associated Industries of Florida, the Florida Retail Federation, the National Federation of Independent Business Florida and the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association included the collection of online sales taxes in a list of proposals for the 2021 legislative session. Florida retailers have long complained of being at a competitive disadvantage because of out-of-state retailers not collecting and remitting the taxes.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The latest effort to end Florida’s no-fault auto insurance system will get its first Senate hearing next week. The proposal seeks to replace the requirement motorists carry personal-injury protection coverage -- key to the no-fault system -- with mandatory bodily injury coverage. Senate President Wilton Simpson, a Trilby Republican who is backing the elimination of no-fault, said personal-injury protection coverage is “outdated” and doesn’t protect consumers. Under the no-fault system, drivers are required to carry personal-injury protection, or PIP, coverage to help pay medical bills after accidents. Disputes about the bad-faith issue have stalled past legislative efforts to end the no-fault system.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida lawmakers returned to the state Capitol on Monday, amid a recent surge in COVID-19 cases and some concerns over security in the wake of last week's attack on the U.S. Capitol. The only committee to meet extensively Monday was the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Members of the public and lobbyists not directly involved in the hearing had to monitor proceedings blocks away from an arena at Florida State University. Like other legislative bodies across the country, Florida lawmakers have been mindful of the ongoing pandemic, which has sickened more nearly 1.5 million Floridians and killed more than 23,000. The pandemic will be front and center in this week's legislative agenda, including a discussion Wednesday by the Senate Health Policy Committee on the state's response to the outbreak.

TALLHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Senate Rules Committee chairwoman Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, announced Sunday she tested positive for COVID-19 and won’t attend committee meetings in person this week. “In anticipation of the upcoming committee hearings & other meetings in Tallahassee this week, I took a Covid-19 test on Thursday 1/7. I learned this morning that the result of the test is positive,” Passidomo, who is slated to become Senate president in 2022, tweeted. This week, lawmakers are holding the first of five weeks of committee meetings in advance of the 2021 session, which will begin March 2. The Senate is requiring members, staff and the news media to be tested for COVID-19 ahead of the meetings.

The resiliency officer position is among the duties of Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein, who has had the responsibility since early last year, after Julia Nesheiwat left for a job in President Donald Trump’s administration. Ron DeSantis, was the first person to hold the title of chief resiliency officer. The committee is also scheduled to review septic-to-sewer conversion efforts and the implementation of the “Clean Waterways Act,” which was approved by the Legislature in the 2020 session. Several environmental groups, seeking stronger measures, unsuccessfully pushed for DeSantis to veto the bill. The Senate is scheduled to hold meetings over four days next week as it begins preparing for the March 2 start of the annual legislative session.

Ron DeSantis on Monday backed a controversial reservoir being built in the Everglades while announcing the state will use a pool of environmental money to help Miami-Dade County protect Biscayne Bay from continued degradation. DeSantis addressed the issue as he outlined plans to provide a $10 million match for local efforts to restore Biscayne Bay. “The EAA reservoir remains a top environmental priority for my administration, and we look forward to pressing ahead as quickly as possible,” DeSantis said while at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne. “In the coming weeks, the county and state will work collaboratively to identify worthwhile projects and pursue them without delay,” DeSantis said. Money for the match is coming from $625 million in the current fiscal year budget for water projects and the Everglades.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – More than two dozen loyal Republicans gathered in the Senate chamber of the Florida Capitol on Monday afternoon and cast the state’s 29 votes in the Electoral College for President Donald Trump. The 29 electors -- many of them current or former elected or party officials -- were submitted to Gov. Ron DeSantis on Aug. 31 and earned a seat in the chamber when Trump won the most votes in Florida in the Nov. 3 election. Had Joe Biden carried the state, a slate of 29 prominent Democrats selected as that party’s electors would be voting Monday instead and, based on the certified popular vote, Biden will win 306 electoral votes to 232 votes for Trump. That fact made Monday a bittersweet day for Dr. Roy Hinman, of St. Augustine, who case one of Florida’s 29 votes for Trump.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – As a COVID-19 precaution, no more than three state Senate committees will meet at the same time when lawmakers return to Tallahassee next year. Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, announced new block scheduling for committees Thursday, as he announced committee member assignments. “This schedule will allow us to utilize the committee rooms with the largest seating area for Senators, 412 Knott (Building), 110 (Senate Office Building), and 37 (Senate Office Building), to accommodate appropriate social distancing,” Simpson wrote in a memo to senators. The first of five pre-session committee weeks will start Jan. 11. Officials have not released plans about public attendance inside the Capitol during the committee weeks and the session.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – It’s been more than seven years since Florida Universities raised tuition. And this year lawmakers face a pandemic induced $2.7 billion decline in revenue, which has them putting tuition hikes back on the table. At $6,370, university tuition in Florida, before fees, is the second lowest in the nation. In the end, any tuition hike would have to get the OK from the governor, and Gov. So far, United Faculty of Florida, the union representing professors, hasn’t taken a position on supporting a tuition hike.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – There’s some good news for Florida businesses struggling to keep afloat during the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: Workers’ compensation insurance rates will decrease by an average of 6.6 percent effective Jan. 1. It will be the fourth consecutive year that workers’ compensation premiums have been reduced. Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier issued an order Nov. 12 quietly approving a statewide average 6.6% reduction. The approval came nine days after the National Council on Compensation Insurance, which makes rate filings for the workers’ compensation insurance industry, submitted an amended 2021 filing with regulators. But it includes experience of claims filed after a major 2016 Florida Supreme Court opinion that tossed out restrictive caps on plaintiffs’ attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases.

“We need to identify our most vulnerable areas, where the need is,” Simpson said. “They’re acknowledging the need --- how can you not in Florida acknowledge the need to start making our communities more resilient?” Florida Conservation Voters Executive Director Aliki Moncrief said. Sprowls, meanwhile, suggested shifting environmental spending from land acquisition to addressing rising waters that flood streets, damage homes and ruin businesses. We need to bring the same long-range planning and strategic discipline to our environmental programs that we bring to our transportation work plan,” Sprowls said. In 2014, former Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, suggested lawmakers set a multiple-year work plan for voter-approved water projects and land preservation.

In separate news conferences, Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, and House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, indicated support for legislation that would protect businesses from lawsuits related to COVID-19. Meanwhile, Sprowls and Simpson may see things differently when it comes to workers’ compensation insurance. Business groups have pushed the Legislature to address the system since a 2016 Florida Supreme Court ruling that found strict caps on plaintiffs’ attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases were unconstitutional. After the ruling, businesses warned that the elimination of the caps on attorney fees would cause workers’ compensation rates to increase and pushed lawmakers to reinstate them. Despite the business groups’ arguments, workers’ compensation rates have decreased in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and are expected to decrease again in 2021.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Amid the economic struggles caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Florida retailers are expecting a 5% decrease in holiday sales this year. “Projections are that sales will be down about 5%,” Florida Retail Federation President Scott Shalley said. Given fears about the coronavirus, Shalley said he expects more people to shop online this year. “Whether it’s a big box or a small store, and you decide to shop online, shop online with somebody who has a local presence,” he said. Instead they plan to require out of state retailers to collect the tax.

Simpson’s comments came as the Trilby Republican took up the mantle as leader of the Florida Senate during an organization session, in which newly elected lawmakers were sworn in and House and Senate leaders officially took the helm. General revenue, which includes such money as sales taxes and corporate income taxes, play a vital role in funding schools, health care and prisons. But Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar said public-school funding was slashed during the recession that hit the state hard in 2008. While a significant amount of the cuts have been restored, public schools still lag behind pre-2008 base funding levels, according to Spar. We recognize that this will be a challenging budget year due to COVID-19, but our public schools should be spared any cuts.

Ron DeSantis made his first public appearance in 13 days on Tuesday. “We’re now being looked at as the state that did it right,” said DeSantis during the Nov. 4 press conference. During that appearance, DeSantis also criticized the national media for calling some states and not others. “The Governor has not made one public appearance to talk about COVID-19 or unemployment in weeks and I feel like he’s trying to avoid the press. DeSantis also chose to meet via phone to certify this year’s election results instead of in-person Tuesday morning.

But the message Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls sent was one that seeks to cross a divide. Sprowls and Simpson talked about the difficult task of recovering from the pandemic. “Fortunately, Florida is more prepared than most other states,” Simpson said. In fact, it’s pouring.”But while Simpson said the state will have to cut its budget, lawmakers can't forget about priorities. In separate phone interviews, Sprowls and Simpson talked about how the pandemic will present a new challenge for the Legislature.

Incoming Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, is requiring all senators to take a COVID-19 test prior to entering the Senate chambers on Nov. 17. “Members are constitutional officers who have a right to be in the chamber,” Sprowls' spokeswoman Jenna Sarkissian said in an email Tuesday, when asked about a testing requirement. Since desks won’t be rearranged inside the House chamber, members who seek greater social distancing or have underlying medical conditions can request special seating accommodations, according to a guide issued by House leaders last week. The testing requirement applies to senators, as well as certain staff and guests who will be authorized to be in the Senate chamber during the organization session. Next week’s organization session includes swearing in new members and the official selection of Sprowls and Simpson as leaders of the House and Senate.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Fernandina Beach Republican Aaron Bean and Naples Republican Kathleen Passidomo will serve as top lieutenants to incoming Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, Simpson announced Friday. Bean, who was first elected to the Senate in 2012 and has been a leader on health-care issues, will serve the next two years as Senate president pro tempore. “Throughout her years of public service, Senator Passidomo has gained the respect of senators on both sides of the political aisle by listening to the concerns each senator brings forward and working to build consensus,” Simpson said in a statement. “She has exhibited sound judgment and a fair-minded, reasonable and thoughtful approach to decision making that, I am confident, will be a great benefit to the Senate over the next two years.”The appointments were the first two announced by Simpson, who will formally become Senate president during a Nov. 17 organization session. Incoming House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, announced a full leadership team and changes in House committees on Thursday.

The traditional social activities, family events, and congregate meals, will not happen during the organization session. The House plan said on-site testing will be available to lawmakers and that they will undergo temperature screenings before entering the House chamber. While the House isn’t reorganizing desks, it is creating special seating assignments so House members with “unique health issues” can be seated. Ron DeSantis in September floated the idea of holding a special session in conjunction with the organization session to take up a proposal aimed at cracking down on disorderly protests. But the information released Wednesday by Simpson and Sprowls did not indicate any plans to hold such a special session.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Senate is bringing in a team from Tampa General Hospital to help determine how to safely hold committee meetings and the 2021 legislative session as the state continues to struggle with COVID-19. “They will help us develop educational information for senators and staff on practical, actionable infection prevention steps,” Simpson wrote. Tampa General’s Prevention Response Outreach team is expected to begin its work on the Senate plans this week, according to the hospital. “We’re dedicated to safeguarding the health and well-being of the citizens of Florida, and that includes creating a safe environment for our elected officials to work,” Tampa General President and CEO John Couris said in a prepared statement. The team, set up in May, has previously consulted with Florida Aquarium, The Straz Center for the Performing Arts, The Tampa Bay Lightning and TECO.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The state Republican and Democratic parties have named their slates of electors for this year’s presidential election, with the names of current and former lawmakers sprinkled through the lists. EXPLAINED: Electoral College vs popular voteThe Florida Department of State posted the lists Friday on its website. The Republican list includes Florida GOP Chairman Joe Gruters, a state senator from Sarasota; incoming state Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby; state Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples; state Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville; incoming House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor; state Rep. Jason Fischer, R-Jacksonville; state Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay; and state Rep. Daniel Perez, R-Miami. The Democatic list includes Florida Democratic Chairwoman Terrie Rizzo; Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried; former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.; former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, D-Fla.; state Rep. Joe Geller, D-Aventura; and state Rep. Shevrin Jones, D-West Park. Rod Smith, a Gainesville attorney who was a Democratic candidate in the 2016 race for governor, is also on the list.

When asked by reporters if his plan would make it to the floor for a Senate vote, Diaz was non-committal. In exchange, regulation would be “preempted” to the state, largely preventing local governments from regulating vacation rentals. Florida law already bans local governments from passing ordinances to outlaw vacation rentals. Vacation rentals have sparked backlash from some homeowners, who complain about raucous parties, parking issues and a steady stream of strangers in neighborhoods. For us to be micromanaging vacation rentals, I am not sure that is the right thing to do,” DeSantis said.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Department of Children and Families is asking Florida lawmakers to help with a pressing issue: What to do with children in the foster care system who refuse placement. An investigation by WFLA-TV found foster care children were sleeping in cars and offices in a Tampa facility. Victoria Zepp, with the Florida Coalition for Children, estimates there are a few dozen children in the foster care system who have refused to accept placement and services. The Florida Coalition for Children is endorsing increased wrap-around services for the most vulnerable kids in the foster care system. On a positive note, community-based care programs are hopeful because state Sen. Wilton Simpson, who has been designated as the next Senate president, has vowed to make the foster care system one of his top priorities.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Shortly after Trilby Republican Wilton Simpson was formally elected Tuesday as Florida's next Senate president, he characterized himself as a farmer and an entrepreneur --- and not a politician. Simpson will succeed President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, after the November 2020 elections and will hold one of the most powerful political jobs in Florida. One thing he would like to see fixed in the foster care system is cutting down the waiting time for qualified parents to adopt children. He also wants to keep children from bouncing from foster home to foster home. When Simpson takes over as president, his counterpart as House speaker will be Palm Harbor Republican Chris Sprowls.