On tonight’s program: After a razor-thin second place finish in the Iowa causes, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis hits the campaign trail for New Hampshire and South Carolina; Pregnancy care inflames partisan passions in the Florida Capitol; Term limits for Florida’s county commissioners is moving ahead in this year’s legislature, but it seems the matter may not be the slam-dunk its proponents imagined; And new safeguards for students on the autism spectrum are under consideration by Florida lawmakers.

On tonight’s program: Governor Ron DeSantis faces a day of decision in Iowa, and the future seems uncertain; A suspected human trafficking ring in Tallahassee is under arrest as the state marks National Human Trafficking Awareness Month; We hear about some new bills impacting members of the LGBTQ community in Florida; Some state lawmakers want to impose more limits on what local governments can do when it comes to the firms they hire as contractors; A celebrated author of a new book on Florida wildlife would like to see state lawmakers take a more organized approach to protecting fragile natural eco-systems; And we revisit the stormy start to the legislative season this past Tuesday when tornadoes touched down across the Florida Panhandle.

On tonight’s program: Both the Florida House and Senate would like to give traditional public schools a break from some of the state regulations imposed over the past 20 years. But so far they haven’t agreed on how big a break that should be; Young people would have less unrestricted access to social media under a bill now kicking around the Legislature; Differences between the House and Senate on partial loosening of teen work restrictions are still in the “working out” stage; And LGBTQ+ advocates are upset over what they see as yet more discriminatory legislation coming out of the Florida Capitol.

On tonight’s program: Both legislative chambers are getting closer to working out their differences in bills that would remove some of the current restrictions involving child labor in Florida; A rise in dangerous human-bear interactions in parts of North Florida have some residents and law enforcers calling for increased use of lethal force, but many conservationists argue that’s taking things too far; A prominent state senator is proposing new restrictions on vote-by-mail, but that idea isn’t gaining traction with Senate President Passidomo; And youth programs, such as Ladies Learning to Lead, are hoping lawmakers will meet their funding requests this session.

On tonight’s program: The 2024 Florida Lawmaking Session gets underway with the Capital City and surrounding North Florida counties under a tornado warning; Governor DeSantis’s State of the State speech is mostly a recap of accomplishments from last year; Democratic lawmakers pan the speech during their formal responses to the State of the State address; And the Florida Legislature’s Republican leadership presents a united front as the session begins.

On tonight’s program: How will Governor DeSantis’s presidential aspirations affect his influence over Florida lawmakers during the upcoming session?; Florida doesn’t have enough doctors and this session, the state’s Senate President wants to do something about it; Could fewer regulations and requirements make Florida’s traditional public schools more responsive to students’ specific needs?; Florida lawmakers will soon consider limiting what young people can and can’t access on social media; More Florida teens would be allowed to work under a bill being teed up for the 2024 session; And a growing number of local officials are leaving office because of new financial disclosure requirements.

On tonight’s program: A massive expansion of education vouchers gives Florida kids even more choices when it comes to their education; Florida abortion law doesn’t allow an exception when the life of the pregnant person is in danger for mental health reasons. That’s especially concerning considering that many pregnant people struggle to access mental health care; Florida leaders recommended avoiding the new COVID booster shot approved in September -- against federal guidance; Florida passed a law allowing citizens to carry firearms without advance permitting during 2023. But at least one of the state’s sheriffs had serious reservations; An industrial closing leaves hundreds of people in uncertainly; And a few issues actually found sweeping bipartisan support in 2023. Like making both infant and adult diapers exempt from state sales taxes.

On tonight’s program: With the countdown clock ticking towards Florida’s 2024 lawmaking session, the leaders of the House and Senate are making the rounds pitching their priorities; There’s a big chunk of money Florida could tap to fight childhood hunger. IF state officials hurry up and apply for it; Youthful gun violence is a multi-generational tragedy; A statewide plan to do away with local civilian police oversight boards has begun drawing some pushback; Firefighters across Florida are keeping a close eye on negotiations between the City of Tallahassee and the union representing the city’s firefighters. Among the issues, coverage against the cancer hazards of the profession; Florida’s move over law isn’t just a good idea, it’s also a lifesaver; And Internet cafes are illegal in Florida. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t still around.

On tonight’s program: As Florida sheds many thousands of people from its Medicaid rolls, there are those who suggest the result hasn’t been pretty; We hear how one Florida community is handling the explosion in youthful gun violence; A Central Florida school is using international teachers to handle the state’s shortage of educators; What happens when a politician teaches a political science class? The mocking bird is the state bird of Florida. But it’s also the bird for four other states and not everyone is happy about that; And lessons on how to avoid making outrageous electric bills a part of the holiday festivities.

On tonight’s program: Governor DeSantis rolls out a state budget that’s smaller than this year’s!; Florida’s House Speaker looks ahead to the upcoming lawmaking session; The pressure is building for the wife of Florida’s Republican Party chair to step down from her school board job; Academic freedom is becoming a flashpoint on Florida’s public campuses; It seems a contract dispute between Tallahassee firefighters and the city that employs could have impacts far beyond the Capital City limits; And the spat between Florida State University’s football program and the college football playoff establishment, is bringing some high-powered support from all over the place.