State News – Page 13 – Capital Outlook

Citizens insurance seeks rate increase

April 13, 2023

Insurance companies were hit with hefty claims after Hurricane Ian caused damage in Florida last fall.NPR photo By Jim SaundersNews Service of Florida Leaders of the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. approved a proposal that would raise average rates by 14.2 percent this year, as they seek to push policies

Transgender treatment rules draw court challenge

March 31, 2023

Sen. Victor Torres By Dara KamNews Service of Florida Four families filed a federal lawsuit challenging rules adopted by Florida medical boards that prohibit doctors from providing gender-affirming treatment such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy to transgender children, arguing the rules intrude on “parents’ fundamental right to direct the

State board pushes for teacher pay hikes

March 31, 2023

Teacher from across Florida protested at the Capitol for better funding of public schools.Photo by St. Clair Murraine By Ryan Dailey News Service of Florida Members of the State Board of Education are considering how to put “pressure” on local teachers-union leaders and school-board members amid delays in planned salary increases

Senators aim to stop tracking by credit card companies

March 31, 2023

Sen. Darryl Rouson NSF Staff Report The Florida Senate passed a measure that seeks to prevent credit-card companies from using a code that could help track firearm and ammunition sales. The Republican-controlled Senate voted 27-11 along almost-straight party lines to approve the bill (SB 214), sponsored by Sen. Danny Burgess,

Lawmakers divided on land money, resiliency

March 31, 2023

Sen. Jason Brodeur By Jim TurnerNews Service of Florida Initial House and Senate budget proposals are hundreds of millions of dollars apart on efforts to preserve land from future development and protect areas from rising seas. But the House and Senate agree on spending $50 million for beach renourishment, with

Affordable housing plan gets final approval

March 31, 2023

Senate President Kathleen Passidomo led efforts to pass a bill to address affordable housing.NSF file photo by Colin Hackley By Jim TurnerNews Service of Florida With approval from the Florida House, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s $711 million effort to make housing more affordable for working Floridians is headed to Gov.

Lawmakers back lower threshold in death penalty cases

March 26, 2023

Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis By Jim SaundersNews Service of Florida As the state carries out the death penalty again after a pause of more than three years, a Florida House panel supported lowering a threshold for sentencing defendants to death. The House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee voted 8-6 to approve a

Fate of film, entertainment office debated

March 26, 2023

Rep. Allison Tant By Jim TurnerNews Service of Florida Lawmakers questioned the fate of an office that seeks to bolster the entertainment industry in Florida, as the House moves to eliminate the state’s business-recruitment agency and a series of economic-development programs. The House Commerce Committee last Friday voted 16-3 to

House passes major voucher expansion

March 26, 2023

Rep. Marie Woodson, D-Hollywood, opposed the voucher expansion.Photo by Colin Hackley By Ryan DaileyNews Service of Florida The Republican-controlled House passed a measure that would make every Florida student eligible for taxpayer-backed school vouchers, as Democrats and other critics slammed the expansion as a “coupon for millionaires.” House members voted

Senators seek to prevent monument removals

March 26, 2023

A crew removes a memorial monument from downtown St. Augustine.Photo special to the Outlook By Jim TurnerNews Service of Florida Local governments would be blocked from removing historic monuments from public locations and could face lawsuits, under a controversial proposal that started to advance in the Florida Senate. In a