Capital Report

Clearwater Republican Senator Jack Latvala continues to fight against allegations of sexual harassment but there’s mounting evidence he is on the losing end. Lynn Hatter reports the state’s House Speaker said recently Latvala could end up being kicked out the chamber in January. First responders run towards crashes, emergencies and catastrophes, not away from them. And for some, their experiences are leading to post traumatic stress disorder. But in Florida, first responders who develop PTSD on

The 2017 Hurricane season is officially over. But lawmakers are still debating how to pick up the pieces, Kate Payne reports on where they’re focusing their efforts. Florida voters could be asked to reconsider a ban on public funding for religious organizations. Lynn Hatter reports the language has its roots in the late 1800’s during a wave of new immigrants to the United States. A proposal changing the eligibility requirements for becoming a judge in a state or county court is starting to move

A bipartisan group of Florida legislators is making noise about criminal justice reform ahead of the 2018 session. Nick Evans reports the group wants to lift the felony threshold for certain crimes, and give judges more flexibility in sentencing. Lawmakers are considering a move that could limit the ability of local governments to make rules about where powerlines should go. Regan McCarthy has more. This month is Diabetes Awareness Month and a bipartisan push is underway to do more to treat the

Automation. Development. Citrus greening. Florida’s agriculture industry is hurting and Hurricane Irma was only the most recent blow. Kate Payne reports lawmakers will be considering how to support the industry – second only to tourism – during the upcoming lawmaking session. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is heaping praise on state Republican leaders for approving a controversial education law now heading to the courts. Lynn Hatter reports Bush calls House Bill 7069 a bold move amid slumping

Allegations of sexual harassment in Florida’s capitol are roiling the state legislature just as the lawmaking session is set to begin. Nick Evans reports the flying accusations are putting other elected officials in an uncomfortable position. The headlines have been full lately of stories about current and former government officials fighting accusations of poor behavior while in office. Some are facing investigations; others are facing time in jail. Now Regan McCarthy reports one committee is

Local government leaders and members of the Florida House appear to be drawing their battle lines for the upcoming legislative session. Regan McCarthy has more.... The governor and state lawmakers are proposing new prescription limits to fight opioid abuse. But they also want to require physicians use a long-standing drug monitoring database—raising the question, why wasn’t it mandatory to begin with? Nick Evans has more. With the 2018 legislative session around the corner, Florida lawmakers as

Florida lawmakers are grappling with where one person’s rights end and another’s begin as debates over a texting while driving bill turn emotional. Regan McCarthy has more.... Late Friday (10/27) afternoon, Senator Jeff Clemons who was prominently featured in the preceding story by Regan McCarthy announced his resignation from the Florida Senate. This followed revelations of his affair with a Tallahassee lobbyist. Florida health officials are under fire for the slow roll-out of new medical

More than a dozen school districts are now challenging that part of a law that requires them to share their school construction money with charter schools. But as Lynn Hatter reports, some of those same districts are also getting a portion of the extra funding the new law provides. After Hurricane Irma hit Florida last month, many schools were out for days and even longer than that in the Keys. That also meant pre-schools, including child care centers that serve newborn babies and toddlers, were

Substance abuse experts and law enforcement officers are calling on lawmakers to bolster access to treatment for people battling opioid addiction. Nick Evans reports the biggest focus is on medication- assisted treatments. Florida’s beaches are in constant need of restoration, to truck in sand that the sea washes away. In the wake of Hurricane Irma, miles of critically eroded beaches are in even more danger. Kate Payne reports a powerful lawmaker is once again trying to get funding to replenish

Nearly a month after Hurricane Irma washed eight-to-ten feet of storm surge onto Everglades City in Southern Collier County, residents with damaged, unlivable homes are still waiting on emergency temporary housing. City officials estimate about a hundred homes in the area are uninhabitable due to flood damage and mold. But officials say they expect relief within a week. From member station WGCU, Jessica Meszaros takes us to Everglades City. For weeks, people living in the U.S. commonwealth of

People whose lives depend on dialysis are especially vulnerable during a hurricane. The machines that replace their kidneys need reliable electricity and water to operate. That’s part of why 89 dialysis patients from St. Thomas fled to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Irma. And then they had to evacuate again – this time to Miami – because of Hurricane Maria. From member station WLRN in Miami, Sammy Mack has that story. While many Floridians are moving on after Hurricane Irma ripped through the state

The latest attempt by Congressional Republicans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act could be in trouble now that Arizona Senator John McCain has voiced his opposition publically. Lynn Hatter reports the move comes a day after the Kaiser Family Foundation released an analysis showing Florida’s Medicaid program, which supports low income residents, could lose nearly 10-billion dollars over six years if the measure were to gain passage. Lynne spoke with the foundation’s Policy Analyst Dr.

Hurricane Irma proved fatal to eight patients in a Hollywood Hills nursing home, which lost power and air conditioning during the storm. Many more such homes and assisted living facilities statewide also lost power, prompting evacuations and efforts by first responders to make sure those residents who remained in those facilities were safe. From member station WMFE in Orlando, Health News Florida reporter Abe Aboraya takes a look at what’s next for these homes. Even though Hurricane Irma has

U.S. Education Secretary Betsey DeVos praised Florida’s school choice programs during a Tallahassee visit this week. Her arrival comes as school districts across the state prepare to battle with the legislature over a new law they say will further destabilize traditional public school systems. This year Florida lawmakers changed the way the state building codes are updated. There are concerns the new law could weaken the integrity of Florida homes, in order to cut construction costs. In the wake

This week, the State of Florida executed its first convict in more than a year and a half. Capital punishment had been on hold since a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling found Florida’s execution process was unconstitutional. Now, as we hear from member station WLRN’s Wilson Sayre, more than one-hundred prisoners on death row are working to reduce their sentences. We continue our look at what the future may hold as far as Florida’s death penalty goes. Florida Public Radio’s Nick Evans checked in