Tour Florida’s Capitol with FSBA
Planning a trip to Florida’s Capitol Building? Take this virtual tour to assist you prior to your arrival.
Senate proposal calls for workers’ comp changes
After two closely watched Florida Supreme Court rulings and a 14.5 percent rate increase for businesses, a key Senate Republican filed a proposal Friday that would revamp the state’s workers’ compensation insurance system. The proposal (SB 1582), filed by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, addresses major issues such as attorney fees and rate filings with…
Trump to highlight Florida’s controversial vouchers program in Orlando school visit
President Donald Trump will call the nation’s attention to one of Florida’s most controversial school choice policies for the second time this week during a planned visit to a Catholic school in Orlando on Friday. During Trump’s speech to Congress earlier this week, he urged lawmakers “to pass an education bill that funds school choice…
Rick Scott picks Carlos Beruff as CRC chairman; Jeff Woodburn named executive director
Rick Scott has selected Carlos Beruff, the Manatee County Republican who ran for U.S. Senate in 2016, to serve as chairman of the powerful Constitution Revision Commission. Read More
Testing debate teed up again in Florida Legislature
The testing wars have returned to the Florida Capitol. Two years after widespread computer problems undermined confidence in the state’s new standardized tests and sparked a political firestorm, lawmakers are once again floating ideas to reduce high-stakes exams in Florida schools. Read More
Educators Join New Fight to Block Guns in Schools
Abbey Clements could hear the sounds of the nation’s deadliest K-12 school shooting as she huddled with her 2nd graders singing Christmas carols to drown out the terrifying noises coming from down the hall. Read More
Florida Employers: Here Comes Medical Marijuana- Are You Ready?
Florida Employers: Here Comes Medical Marijuana- Are You Ready? by Leonard J. Dietzen, III Florida voters turned out in droves to pass Amendment 2 to legalize medical marijuana. This Constitutional Amendment greatly expanded what was once a very narrow right in Florida to be treated with low dose THC cannabis. With its passage, Florida employers…
Charter schools vs. traditional schools: Legislature’s debate resumes over capital aid
Once again, Florida lawmakers will try to force school districts to share part of their local tax dollars with charter schools so that those privately managed schools can enjoy the same access to funding for maintenance and construction projects as traditional public schools. Read More
Plasencia: ‘No one actively lobbying against’ daily recess mandate
State Rep. Rene Plasencia, R-Orlando, told reporters Thursday that “there’s no one that’s actively lobbying against” efforts to require mandatory daily recess in Florida’s public elementary schools. There has so far been no obvious or outspoken public opposition to the measure, but district administrators quietly have voiced concerns about requiring all schools to have recess —…
Corcoran concedes ‘we’ll get there’ on a joint rule with Senate over budget
House Speaker Richard Corcoran said Wednesday that he is open to compromise with the state Senate on his hardline new rules aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in the budget process. Senate President Joe Negron has resisted Corcoran’s rules, last week even threatening to sue the House over what he considers an unconstitutional attempt to…