News Service of Florida

As a national debate rages over gun laws after last month’s mass shooting at a Texas elementary school, proponents of “red-flag” policies point to a Florida law as a model for states seeking to strip deadly weapons from people who could cause harm.

The financial-rating agency AM Best said Friday that changes passed during a special legislative session last month “are unlikely to alleviate immediate financial pressures” on Florida property insurers.

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration issued a report Thursday that could set the stage for the Medicaid program to deny coverage for treatments such as puberty-blocking medication and hormone therapy for transgender people.

Breaking from efforts by Florida lawmakers to punish school districts that imposed mask mandates during the pandemic, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday directed Florida’s new education commissioner to ignore a plan that would have made the districts ineligible for $200 million.

Pointing to a need to further brace the state against a potential recession, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued $3.13 billion in vetoes Thursday as he signed a $109.9 billion budget for the fiscal year that will begin July 1.

An appeals court refused to dismiss a potential class-action lawsuit against the University of South Florida over fees that were collected from students for on-campus services that were not provided because of the pandemic.

With mass shootings refueling a national debate about gun laws, the Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments next week in a dispute about a 2011 state law that threatens stiff penalties if city and county officials pass gun-related regulations.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has tapped former state education commissioner Richard Corcoran to serve on the state university system’s Board of Governors. The board oversees Florida’s state universities and is tasked with such responsibilities as adopting regulations designed to carry out state laws related to higher education.

Moving quickly after a special legislative session, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed bills to try to stem problems in the property-insurance market and to bolster the safety of condominium buildings.

Voting-rights groups went to the state Supreme Court on Monday as they try to keep alive the possibility of blocking a congressional redistricting plan that would make it harder to elect a Black U.S. House member this year in North Florida.