Florida News Archive

A federal judge has awarded more than $372,000 in legal fees to attorneys who represented professors in a high-profile lawsuit against the University of Florida over being able to serve as expert witnesses in court cases.

It was heart-wrenching.

As the Florida House began a special legislative session Monday, Holocaust survivor David Schaecter offered an invocation and told of being an 11-year-old boy watching his mother and two younger sisters get gunned down by Nazis.

After Florida Power & Light said the tab for restoring electricity after Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole was lower than expected, state regulators Thursday approved a proposal that will reduce the amount of storm costs passed along to customers.

Fruit and vegetable growers who say they are combating “unfair foreign trade” from Mexico want support during the 2024 legislative session with issues such as artificial intelligence and mechanization that could reduce labor costs.

Peppering lawyers for the state and the Florida Chamber of Commerce with questions, some Florida Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical Wednesday of arguments that the court should reject a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational use of marijuana by people 21 or older.

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday said state regulators did not adequately justify approval of a settlement that increased base electric rates for Florida Power & Light and ordered a new explanation. Justices, in a 4-2 opinion, sent a battle about the settlement back to the Florida Public Service Commission, saying regulators in a 2021 decision did not meet a legal requirement of showing why the agreement “is in the public interest and results in rates that are fair, just and reasonable.”

In a special meeting of the Milton City Council Tuesday night, Mayor Heather Lindsay called out city attorney and State Representative Alex Andrade for what she called unprofessional communications in 54 pages of emails and text messages between the two.

Tallahassee – The Florida insurance market took a hit Tuesday, as Farmers Insurance said it will end residential, auto and umbrella policies in the state, forcing tens of thousands of customers to look elsewhere for coverage.

More school vouchers. Expanded restrictions on teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity. Limits on using TikTok. Carrying guns without concealed-weapons licenses. A larger Florida State Guard.

By Jim Turner

News Service of Florida

Florida motorists can expect to pay more at the pump as the state’s month-long gas tax “holiday” ends.

The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas Monday stood at $3.29, about a dime cheaper than at the start of October. But the AAA auto club said that likely will change quickly when the state’s 25.3-cent-a-gallon gas tax returns Tuesday, after being suspended in October by lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis.