Capital Report

In the last week before the state’s primary elections, Florida’s gubernatorial candidates put rubber to the road in a final push to woo voters. Ryan Dailey has the latest on neck-and-neck races in both parties. For the last nineteen years, Republicans have been the dominant political party in the Florida Legislature. Throughout virtually all of that time, the state has also had a Republican in the Governor’s Mansion. But heading into these midterm elections, there’s been plenty of speculation

Florida is 21 billion dollars in debt. And State leaders were actually happy to hear that number at the most recent Florida Cabinet meeting. The money is being used to finance initiatives like transportation and environmental projects. Gina Jordan reports the debt has fallen in recent years, bolstered in part by low interest rates and the economy. Florida’s top leadership offices are up for grabs this year and one of the largest jobs is overseeing the state’s multi-billion dollar agriculture and

A dispute over a parking space turned deadly last month, triggering a new debate over Florida’s already controversial Stand Your Ground Law. Sascha Cordner takes a look at how that debate further accelerated this week, even impacting the state’s gubernatorial contest. Florida’s problem with algal blooms has taken center stage, and efforts to mitigate it are in high demand. A partnership between an engineering and a bioplastics company aims to bring a new type of solution to the market. Ryan

A Leon County circuit judge this week rejected a proposed amendment to the constitution that would ban greyhound racing in Florida, and the state quickly appealed. Gina Jordan reports the Florida Supreme Court is being asked to decide the case before the November ballots are printed. A Florida Panhandle man may be one of the first charged under a new law for posting threatening messages on social media. Sascha Cordner reports. Ryan Torrens is a candidate for Florida Attorney General running in

Hundreds of dead sea turtles have washed up on Florida’s gulf shores this year. AnnMarie Welser reports. Once upon a time, the Red Wolf called the south and eastern United States, from Texas to Pennysylvania, home. Today, there are fewer than 40 wolves left in the wild. The species is what’s called “functionally extinct”— with most of the remaining 200 or so wolves in captivity. The Trump administration is proposing changes to the Endangered Species Act that conservationists worry, could end

Election watchers are trying to avoid a repeat of 2016—when Russian hackers tried to gain access to networks across the county. They didn’t get in—but it’s a cloud that continues to hover over the mid-term cycle. Lynn Hatter has more on the story. Florida’s Department of State has asked the one of the state’s universities for help in safeguarding the 2018 elections. Dr. Eman (Ee-MAN) El-Sheikh (El- SHAKE) directs University of West Florida’s Center for Cybersecurity. She has been essential in

Local governments are continuing their battle to hang onto home rule. Regan McCarthy reports that fight is centering around a court case fighting a law that largely preempts local ordinances on firearms. The League of Women Voters of Florida is suing to block a constitutional amendment that could pave the way for more charter schools. The League says the ballot summary-which voters see on the actual ballot—is different from the language in the amendment, and is vague and misleading. Attorney Ron

Florida’s statewide teacher’s union is once again suing the legislature—this time over a new law that could directly impact its membership. Lynn Hatter reports it’s the latest in a line of lawsuits filed over the state’s education policies. A new Florida law seeks to make it easier for people to get their mugshots removed from certain websites. As Sascha Cordner reports, it’s the only bill from the 2017 legislative session to take effect this month. Florida’s 2019 lawmaking session is still

Hurricanes and warming ocean waters have damaged Florida’s coral reefs over the years, But as Regan McCarthy reports now experts say the state’s corals are facing a new danger—an especially pervasive bacteria. On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz were denied entry into a federal detention facility in Homestead that is housing an estimated one thousand minors who were separated from their parents at the U.S. border. Less than 24 hours later,

Recent polling shows there are four constitutional amendments poised for approval on Florida’s November ballot. Three of those deal exclusively with the issue of taxation. But as Lynn Hatter reports there’s ongoing concern that determining tax policy through constitutional referendum isn’t in the public’s best interest. Florida’s Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner says he wants to set the record straight about what happened when close to 300 background checks were revoked due to an

The commission charged with improving school safety is looking into the effectiveness of school resource officers—a school’s main line of defense that critics say failed students at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School amid a Valentine’s Day shooting. Seventeen students died, more than a dozen others were injured. Lynn Hatter has more. Could your Audi be considered the equivalent of an AR-15? What makes a weapon a weapon? The Florida Supreme Court heard arguments on Shepard v. State of Florida

Florida’s 2018 hurricane season is underway and so is the disaster preparedness tax free holiday. Regan McCarthy has more.... A new campaign in Florida is offering up an alternative to what the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services calls the opioid epidemic. The Florida Physical Therapy Association has launched a campaign called “PT for Pain.” The group is reaching out to lawmakers – and trying to get the public’s attention – about the easy access of physical therapy instead of going

Gov. Rick Scott is touting a 47-year low in the state’s crime rate after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement released its annual statistics. Ryan Dailey reports the Governor said he is ‘disappointed’ in the legislature over cuts to the Department of Corrections . A special session to address education funding this year doesn’t appear likely. Regan McCarthy reports Florida Democrats gained enough support to cause the Florida Secretary of state to poll members of the legislature on their

As races for statewide office heat up, two candidates have found common ground on criminal justice reform. Ryan Dailey reports Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Chris King was joined by fellow Dem and attorney general candidate Sean Shaw in kicking off a tour to roll out King’s platform. State Agriculture Commissioner and Republican candidate for governor Adam Putnam, is claiming in his push for vocational-technical training, that welders come out of tech schools making $28 an hour. And his main

Two months after it passed the state legislature, Florida’s latest gun reform law is still under scrutiny from gun control and pro-gun advocates alike. Sascha Cordner has the latest: During this National Teacher Appreciation week, Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial candidates in the wide-open primary tried to score points with educators. Meanwhile, Ryan Dailey reports the GOP race settled into two candidates who are just beginning to hone their criticisms of each other. In a time of profound