5 things to know about Floridaâs health care budget
The state spends much of its money on health care. Hereâs what itâs doing.
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A pharmacist portions a dose of the BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine into a syringe on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times ]
Updated 1 minute ago
TALLAHASSEE â Pick a random dollar out of Floridaâs $101.5 billion budget, and itâs got a strong chance of going to a health care program.
That means Floridaâs health care spending plan sheds a great deal of light on the priorities of state leaders. Who gets coverage under the stateâs Medicaid program? Where are billions of federal dollars going? How is the state looking after its most vulnerable citizens?
Bill to undermine Key West cruise ship limit âis deadâ
The bill began as a broad attempt to prohibit local governments from restricting maritime commerce at Floridaâs 15 deep-water ports.
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Updated 6 hours ago
TALLAHASSEE â After having second thoughts about the constitutionality of his bill to undermine three ordinances approved by Key West voters, the House sponsor of the measure said Tuesday he has concluded âthe billâs deadâ for the session.
âI donât see a path forward,â said Rep. Spencer Roach, the North Fort Myers Republican who, along with Sen. Jim Boyd, attempted to pass a bill that would have used a state law to preempt three new ordinances adopted by more than 60 percent of voters in Key West in November. But, he added, âanything can happen between now and when the hankie drops.â
Floridaâs gun preemption law just got more powerful
Are the changes a big deal? Depends on whom you ask.
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Updated Yesterday
TALLAHASSEE â A new bill thatâs poised to become law is the legislative equivalent of a Rorschach test.
Fans of Floridaâs sweeping gun preemption law â which bars municipalities from regulating firearms and ammunition in any way â say the bill, Senate Bill 1844, offers little more than a technical correction. Itâs a âglitch bill,â they say.
Those who detest Floridaâs gun preemption law say the new bill is a dramatic expansion of an already Draconian state policy.
Florida lawmakers eye changes to property insurance in wake of soaring rates
The bill would reduce the time to file a claim from three years to two.
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The Florida Legislature created state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to serve property owners who couldn t find coverage elsewhere.
Updated Apr. 28
TALLAHASSEE â In a scramble to stop Floridaâs soaring homeowners insurance rates, state lawmakers are close to passing a bill that would reduce the amount of time to file a claim and allow Citizens Property Insurance to raise its rates above 10 percent.
The Florida House voted 74-43 on Wednesday on a bill that would reduce the time to file a property insurance claim from three years to two years and stop contractors and public adjusters from soliciting homeowners to file a claim.