The Legislature held a special session on gaming from May 17th to 19th. The primary purpose was to ratify the Compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, negotiated by the Governor and Legislative leaders. The proposed included a revenue-sharing plan of $500 million annually for the first five years and an estimated $6 billion through Read more about Special Session[…]
Fred Humphries Former Florida A&M University president Frederick S. Humphries died June 24th in Orlando. Humphries served as president of the historically black university from 1985-2001. A native of Apalachicola, he graduated from Tallahassee’s FAMU in 1957. During his tenure at FAMU, he increased the number of National Achievement Scholars, ranking first in the nation Read more about In Memoriam[…]
Summer has officially begun, and what a different year it has been! This time last year, Florida was just beginning its Phase 2 re-opening efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants, retail establishments and gyms and were allowed to open at 50 percent indoor capacity; then, restaurants could offer outdoor seating with social distancing. Professional sports Read more about From the Capitol[…]
DEFECTIVE EARPLUGS A Florida federal jury ordered 3M Company to pay $7.1 million to military members who claimed their combat earplugs did not work. The plaintiffs claimed hearing loss during the trial. RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA The Florida Supreme Court declared a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana “misleading,” effectively ending its chances of getting on the Read more about Legal Updates[…]
Voucher Expansion/Consolidation The Gardiner and McKay scholarship programs, which serve students with special needs, were merged with the Family Empowerment Scholarship program, which serves low- to middle-income families. It increases the maximum income eligibility to receive vouchers to 375 percent of the federal poverty level, meaning a family of four making nearly $100,000 a year Read more about Education Bills that Passed[…]