Page 29 - Get Capitol Buzz News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Updated 1 hour ago For weeks, negotiators for the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis worked on an agreement for a gaming compact. Then, late Monday, the governor made what was likely a final offer: Florida would become the largest state in the nation to legalize sports betting, and the Tribe would control it. The Tribe would not stand in the way if legislators were to allow Miami Beach to become home to a controversial new casino. And the Seminole Tribe would give the state hundreds of millions of dollars in annual payments. It was an ambitious proposal designed to capitalize on...

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.   Updated 3 hours ago TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Senate moved a step closer to consolidating and updating the state’s 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 ...

Biden gave Florida’s infrastructure a “C” grade. What does that mean? No state did better than a “C+”. State transportation officials say Florida’s roads are better than most.   Updated 1 hour ago TALLAHASSEE — Floridians’ increasing commute times and lack of affordable housing contributed to a “C” grade for the state’s 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 th...

Updated 49 minutes ago TALLAHASSEE — With political pressure mounting, a GOP-led Senate panel on Friday voted to send a Gov. Ron DeSantis-backed ‘anti-riot’ 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 i...

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 supervisors’ employees.     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 state’s vote-by-mail process underwent an overhaul Thursday in the Florida House, but critics say it still poses...