State News – Capital Outlook

Conviction upheld in parking lot shooting

January 7, 2022

Markeis McGlockton’s girlfriend Brittany Jacobs (left) was consoled by attorney Ben Crump during a 2018 press conference in Tallahassee.Photo by St. Clair Murraine By Jim SaundersNews Service of Florida In a case that drew national attention, an appeals court upheld a conviction and 20-year prison sentence in the fatal shooting

Simpson calls for prison shutdowns, blasts corrections leaders

October 8, 2021

Sen. Wilton Simpson By Dara KamNews Service of Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson has a message for state prison leaders: Shut down institutions if you want pay raises for overworked corrections officers. Simpson, in a phone interview last Thursday with The News Service of Florida, blamed chronic staffing shortages and

Leon schools go along with quarantine change

October 8, 2021

Rocky Hanna NSF Staff Report Leon County Superintendent of Schools Rocky Hanna announced the district will follow a newly revamped COVID-19 rule by the state health department but will be “a bit more restrictive” in implementation. The Florida Department of Health two weeks ago issued a revised emergency rule that

Supreme Court urged to weigh termination of parental rights

October 8, 2021

A 2014 state law dealing with the termination of parental rights is a key question in an appeal.Photo LittleThings.com By Jim SaundersNews Service of Florida In a case stemming from a woman who put a newborn infant in a trash bag, an appeals court asked the Florida Supreme Court to

Sports betting deal faces another fight

October 8, 2021

Gov. Ron DeSantis (left) and Seminole Tribe of Florida Chairman Marcellus Osceola Jr. signed a gambling deal in April.NSF file photo By Dara KamNews Service of Florida Two prominent South Florida businessmen and the group No Casinos have filed a lawsuit seeking to block a deal that allows sports betting

DeSantis says White House speculation ‘nonsense’

September 17, 2021

Gov. Ron DeSantis (center) during a 2018 campaign event.NSF file photo Jim Saunders and Jim TurnerNews Service of Florida As he faces a re-election campaign next year, Gov. Ron DeSantis tried to dispel speculation that he is preparing to run for the White House in 2024. During an appearance last

Affordable housing ballot initiative halted

September 17, 2021

Realtors have backed off of an effort to get an affordable housing question on the ballot.Florida Realtors photo By Jim SaundersNews Service of Florida Realtors are halting an effort to pass a constitutional amendment to ensure funding for affordable housing, saying they will work with legislative leaders to create a

Leaders up on state finances, down on new programs

September 10, 2021

Sen. Audrey Gibson By Jim TurnerNews Service of Florida Florida’s financial outlook is in “great shape,” barring a direct hit from a hurricane or another pandemic, officials said. And even with an anticipated influx of tax dollars, don’t expect budget leaders to support proposals for new or expanded programs as

Conviction upheld in death of woman, baby

September 10, 2021

Markquise Wallace NSF Staff report An appeals court upheld the conviction of a man in a hit-and-run crash in Pensacola that killed a woman and a baby in 2018. A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal rejected most of the arguments raised by attorneys for Markquise Wallace,

FSU wants judge to toss lawsuit over shutdown

September 10, 2021

FSU wants a class-action suit filed by a law student over not having in-person classes to be dismissed. By Jim SaundersNews Service of Florida Florida State University is asking a federal judge to toss out a potential class-action lawsuit seeking refunds for students who were forced to learn remotely in