Florida Senate advances gambling bill to add new commission, reduce live racing
The bill allows casinos and card rooms to operate without running harness or quarter-horse races or jai-alai matches, a concept known as decoupling.
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Updated 3 hours ago
TALLAHASSEE â The Florida Senate moved a step closer to consolidating and updating the stateâs gambling regulation Monday as a committee advanced bills to create the Florida Gaming Control Commission and another to end live racing as a condition of operating slot machines and card rooms.
But within minutes of presenting the proposal before the Senate Regulated Industries Committee, SPB 7080 ran into the same hurdles that similar attempts have faced year after year: The owners of a race track warned that the change will devastate their business and lead to the loss of jobs.
Biden gave Floridaâs infrastructure a âCâ grade. What does that mean?
No state did better than a âC+â. State transportation officials say Floridaâs roads are better than most.
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Updated 1 hour ago
TALLAHASSEE â Floridiansâ increasing commute times and lack of affordable housing contributed to a âCâ grade for the stateâs infrastructure, according to a report card issued by President Joe Biden as part of his effort to pass a historic $2.3 trillion spending plan.
Since 2011, commute times in Florida have risen by 11.6 percent, and more than 1.4 million renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent, according to the report card, released Monday.
Updated 49 minutes ago
TALLAHASSEE â With political pressure mounting, a GOP-led Senate panel on Friday voted to send a Gov. Ron DeSantis-backed âanti-riotâ bill to the full Senate floor after rejecting every Democratic attempt to narrow the scope of the legislation.
Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee were unable to stop the bill, but they did manage to get support for a study that will look at the racial impact of the proposed law.
The bill (HB 1) would enhance penalties for a host of crimes committed during protests that turn violent, and opponents have argued its broad definition could lead to racial disparity if the bill ultimately becomes law.
Drop boxes targeted for tighter restrictions in Florida House
A House bill would allow drop boxes to be used at locations beyond elections headquarters, but only during early voting hours. The boxes would have to be staffed by supervisorsâ employees.
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A drop box is set up ahead of the start of early voting in Hillsborough County for the August primary. [ [Allison Ross | Times] ]
By Dara Kam
Updated 4 hours ago
A controversial elections bill focused largely on the stateâs vote-by-mail process underwent an overhaul Thursday in the Florida House, but critics say it still poses unnecessary barriers to voters.
The revamped proposal, which addresses issues such as the use of mail-in ballot drop boxes and signature verification, relaxes some restrictions included in an earlier version of the bill.