Statewide
Statewide news from across the state.
First Lady Casey DeSantis launched an initiative using Hope Florida's CarePortal to connect churches with nursing homes and assisted living communities for senior companionship.
Florida families can enroll newborns this summer in Sunshine Genetics, a state-backed pilot led by an FSU institute that sequences about 900 genes to catch treatable rare diseases early.
First Lady Casey DeSantis launched an initiative linking Florida nursing homes and assisted-living communities with local churches through Hope Florida's CarePortal to provide seniors companionship.
The U.S. Postal Service plans to increase postage rates, including the Forever stamp.
A federal appeals court ruled that Florida's Stop WOKE Act, which restricted what public-university faculty may discuss in class, violates the First Amendment.
A Supreme Court order keeping Texas's app store age law in effect lands as Florida weighs new app-store age-verification bills and defends an existing social media law for minors.
A federal appeals court upheld the dismissal of Governor Ron DeSantis's 2023 lawsuit claiming that college accrediting agencies wield unconstitutionally delegated government power.
Governor Ron DeSantis has closed his final regular bill-signing season after signing 2,037 bills and vetoing $10.6 billion in spending over eight years, reshaping Florida policy on schools, abortion, immigration, insurance, and public safety.
Governor Ron DeSantis rejected nine measures passed by the Legislature this year, among them an e-bike speed cap, a prison hospital funding bill, and a plan to train inmates as commercial drivers.
Florida State Representative Dotie Joseph, a North Miami Democrat, filed paperwork to join the crowded contest for governor one day before the qualifying deadline, becoming the latest candidate to seek the state's top executive office.
A Florida law taking effect July 1 adds repeat convictions for driving without a valid license to the offenses that trigger habitual traffic offender status, carrying mandatory license revocation and felony penalties.
House Bill 1217, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in April, prohibits cities and counties from adopting net-zero emissions goals, carbon taxes, or carbon trading programs.
Nocatee, Florida — Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Richard Comerford as Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections on July 1, tapping a 40-year veteran of the agency to lead the nation's third-largest state correctional system.
The Florida State Board of Education voted to bar undocumented students from the state's 28-college system, a policy the Florida Policy Institute estimates could cost institutions more than $15 million annually in tuition and fees.
A Florida law that took effect July 1 widens eligibility for the state's swimming lesson voucher program to children ages 1 through 7, as drowning remains the leading cause of accidental death for young children in the state.
The Florida Department of Education released 2025-2026 school grades showing 77 percent of graded schools earned an A or B, up from 71 percent the prior year.
A Florida law now requires restaurants that charge mandatory operations fees to disclose the amount and purpose on menus, ordering platforms, bills and receipts.
The Florida State Board of Education approved a policy requiring Florida College System students to be U.S. citizens or lawfully present before enrolling.
Gov. Ron DeSantis invoked a new anti-terrorism law to designate CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood, antifa, and more than 90 foreign organizations as terrorist organizations, pending Cabinet approval.
More than 130 new Florida laws took effect July 1, 2026, covering data center regulation, cursive education requirements, habitual traffic offender designations, and increased penalties for child sex crimes.
**TAMPA, Fla.** — Governor Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s $117.6 billion budget for the 2026–27 fiscal year on Monday at Hillsborough Community College, marking the fourth consecutive year of reduced state spending. The budget takes effect July 1 and carries nearly $10 billion in
