Updated Mar. 18
TALLAHASSEE â Last March, when the coronavirus arrived in Florida, state and local governments enacted policies that fundamentally changed how communities interact.
Most of the changes restricted the movement of people with the hope of saving lives. But some concessions made things more convenient
in a less personal society.
As lawmakers gather in Tallahassee, some of those convenient policy changes could be here to stay. Bills making their way through the Legislature would allow Floridians to continue to
get alcoholic drinks delivered from restaurants. Other legislation would expand access to telemedicine â even for pets. And yet another proposal would give students greater flexibility to learn virtually.
Bill would let Florida pharmacists give flu shots to kids tampabay.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tampabay.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Senate GOP advances Bright Futures redesign
Students seeking degrees that are on a list of majors that donât lead directly to a job would get smaller scholarship amounts under a bill proposed by Sen. Dennis Baxley.
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Updated Mar. 16
TALLAHASSEE â Following a rewrite and uproar from dozens of students and parents, Senate Republicans on Tuesday advanced legislation that could reduce amounts covered under the stateâs popular Bright Futures college scholarship program.
The largely unpopular bill was pulled from the Senate Education Committee agenda a week ago to give its sponsor more time to adjust some of the more contentious items.
5 ways lawmakers can fix Floridaâs unemployment system â besides CONNECT
They could raise the maximum benefit amount. Or find out why CONNECT is rejecting so many people.
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Hillsborough County Library Service employee Stephen Duran wears a mask and gloves to protect himself from the coronavirus outbreak as he hands out unemployment paperwork to residents Tuesday, April 14, 2020, at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Public Library in Tampa. [ CHRIS O MEARA | AP ]
Updated Mar. 13
TALLAHASSEE â During the last year, legislatorsâ offices were flooded with calls from desperate Floridians looking for help with their unemployment claims, leading to what is likely the greatest constituent outreach effort in the Legislatureâs history.
DeSantis should consider removing Pasco sheriff, GOP congressman says tampabay.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tampabay.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.