Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Florida’s legislature are taking aim at mandatory minimum sentencing for non-violent offenders. Ryan Dailey reports bills dealing with the rigid sentencing guidelines are advancing, and still being filed ahead of the 2020 session.
Are college and university campuses open markets for ideas or incubators of narrow thought? Some Republican lawmakers want to know what’s really happening in the state’s public higher education classrooms by asking students and professors to take an anonymous survey. But Democrats, and even some of those professors argue that’s a violation of free speech and are suspicious of the motives behind the plan. Lynn Hatter has more.
Florida lawmakers seem to agree—something needs to be done about the state’s Constitution Revision Commission. But they’re not on the same page yet about what should happen. Regan McCarty has more.
For years, Florida’s Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners - or ARNP’s - have tried to convince lawmakers to let them set up offices independent of physicians. Doctor’s groups have largely opposed the move. But as Gina Jordan reports, a lawmaker who is also an emergency medicine physician isn’t giving up.
Last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis released his budget proposal, providing some insight into his health care priorities. Health News Florida's Julio Ochoa sat down with Mary Mayhew, secretary of the state's Agency for Health Care Administration to talk about the proposal. They start by discussing funding for people with disabilities, including ninety-five million dollars in new Medicaid money and another two hundred and forty million dollars to offset budget deficits in the Agency For Persons with Disabilities.
Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner is calling for the exoneration of the Groveland Four. The group of men were pardoned by the board of executive clemency in January but as Blaise Gainey reports the commissioner, legislators and family members don’t think that’s enough.
When someone dies without a will, their land goes to family. But Democratic lawmakers say this type of inheritance is unstable. Robbie Gaffney reports on efforts to help heirs keep their property.