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State lawmakers agree on new Bernie McCabe Courthouse in Pinellas County The location led to an unusual clash between two powerful Republican lawmakers.   Updated 1 hour ago TALLAHASSEE — State lawmakers agreed Friday night to spend $50 million on a new courthouse in Pinellas County named after former State Attorney Bernie McCabe. The new site of the 2nd District Court of Appeal would be called the Bernie McCabe Courthouse in honor of the late Pinellas-Pasco state attorney, who died in January after serving as the area’s top prosecutor for nearly three decades. Both the location ...

‘What’s right and decent’: Florida Senate approves higher unemployment benefits Senators voted 40-0 on Thursday to raise the state’s unemployment benefits by $100, defying Gov. Ron DeSantis and setting up a showdown with the Florida House.     Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby speaks during Opening Day at the Capitol Tuesday, March 2, 2021 in Tallahassee. [ PHIL SEARS | AP ] Updated 5 hours ago TALLAHASSEE — When millions of Floridians were desperate to receive unemployment benefits from the state’s broken jobless agency last year, they turned to ...

Florida lawmakers shift more public money to private schools After months of negotiations, House and Senate leaders agreed on legislation that would pave the way for about 61,000 new students to qualify for taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools.   Updated 5 hours ago TALLAHASSEE — Florida lawmakers on Thursday reached a deal on a sweeping $200 million proposal that would combine and significantly expand the state’s voucher programs that help families pay for private schooling. After months of negotiations, House and Senate leaders agreed on legislation that would pave the...

Legislators pass bill to shield sugar farmers from lawsuits For decades burning occurs from October through May each year and has been widely accepted as a necessary evil.     Acres of sugar cane burn behind homes in Belle Glade. This is part of what is called "pre-harvest burning" to remove the outer leaves of cane stalks before harvesting. Updated 1 hour ago TALLAHASSEE — Persuaded by testimony from the leaders in the Glades agriculture community that sugar burning is not harming their residents, the Florida House on Thursday sent to the governor a bill that gives the agricultur...

Florida lawmakers pass school moment of silence Under the measure, school principals would be required to direct first-period teachers to institute a one- to two-minute moment of silence at the beginning of each day.   Updated 4 hours ago TALLAHASSEE — Florida public-school students might soon have a required moment of silence at the start of each day, under a measure passed Thursday by the Florida Senate and headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk. The Senate voted 32-6 to pass the bill (HB 529), which was approved by the House last month in a 94-24 vote. Under the measure, school pri...