Robbie Gaffney

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and Florida State University are putting in place different policies for residence hall move-outs. These different policies, along with other safety measures have a visible impact.

Tallahassee's utility relief program is now live. It allows those who have lost jobs or revenue due to COVID-19 to defer utility bills sent between March 12 and May 12.

Leon County Schools are working to continue special services and accommodations for students with disabilities during distance learning. The district plans to deliver these services through online videos, phone calls, and more.

Local farmers are struggling to cope with changes brought on by Covid-19. For some, business is booming, but for others, the outbreak is a nightmare.

Small businesses in Tallahassee are already facing financial impacts from efforts taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Florida State University teaching assistants are working on transferring class materials online as the university switches to distance learning in an effort to reduce the spread of the corona virus. This comes as FSU is moving to distance learning for the rest of the spring semester. 

Rep. Spencer Roach (R-North Fort Myers) has been pushing a proposal allowing judges to decide whether a transition plan is appropriate when transferring a child out of temporary custody and into full custody of a parent.

A bill to make peer support more confidential among first responders is heading to the governor's desk.

Pharmacists could soon test, screen, and treat various sicknesses under a proposal making its way to the governor's desk. 

A man wrongfully imprisoned for almost 43 years could soon get more than $2 million from the state. The proposal cleared the Florida House on Tuesday and is on its way to the governor's desk.

For the first time in more than a decade, the Florida Legislature will not take money away from an affordable housing trust fund. This comes as the state faces what some call an affordable housing crisis.

In 1920, African-Americans in Florida organized a voter registration movement ahead of a presidential election. In Ocoee, a white mob retaliated against black voters by killing some and burning their property, causing most black residents in the area to flee. Almost 100 years later, lawmakers want that history to be remembered and taught in Florida schools, museums and recognized in a state park.

A bill aimed at making Florida schools safer just passed a full chamber vote in the House. The proposal includes penalties for school officials and adds members to a school safety committee, among other changes.

For more than a decade, Florida lawmakers have tried and failed to approve the Competitive Workforce Act. This year’s attempt to put statewide protections in place for LGBTQ Floridians has also died, but now local communities are stepping up.

Holocaust history lessons could be expanded in Florida if a bill heading to the Senate floor becomes law. The measure would require teachers to show current examples of antisemitism as well as historical ones, among other requirements. Magda Bader, a holocaust survivor, came to the Capitol this week to support the proposal.

Stem cell research has shown both promise and peril. The technology is advancing faster than the government's ability to regulate it. That's led to problems, such as a 2017 case where three women went blind after receiving stem cell injections to cure a degenerative eye disease. Since then, the federal government has taken measures to regulate stem cell clinics. Florida has been trying to follow suit. 

If another active shooting happens, lawmakers want schools to be equipped with a panic alert system. It would be activated through a mobile app. The push for this technology comes after the second anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.