On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a bill requiring parental consent for a minor’s abortion passed its last committee stop. The measure will now be heading to the floor. Robbie Gaffney reports. One of the first bills ready to be voted on by the full senate is a bill stopping local governments from regulating sunscreen. It’s one of several preemption bills that have been filed this session. Blaise Gainey has the details. A decade ago a fight broke out in Florida over whether to require businesses

Hemp and marijuana come from the same kind of plant, and law enforcement officers often struggle to tell them apart. There’s no quick field test to differentiate the euphoric drug from its non-euphoric sister. In some communities that’s meant pressing pause on marijuana prosecutions. But Regan McCarthy reports it has also left big questions in prisons where marijuana is banned, but hemp is not. A bill aimed at enforcing a new federal law requiring a person to be 21 years old to purchase tobacco

The Florida Supreme Court agrees with Governor Ron DeSantis that fines, fees and restitution are part of all terms of a criminal’s sentence. The question stems from 2018’s constitutional Amendment 4. It restored the voting rights to certain convicted felons. Blaise Gainey has the details on what the courts’ opinion means. The most diverse organizations are the strongest, according to most workforce studies. The problem, however, is that Florida has no statewide uniformity when it comes to

Vice President Mike Pence made his first campaign trip of the year to Florida Thursday, targeting voters in the highly competitive I-4 corridor. His stops in Tampa and Kissimmee are a sign of who President Trump’s re-election campaign is targeting: older voters and Hispanic residents. WUSF’s Steve Newborn and WMFE’s Brendan Byrne asked voters attending Thursday’s event about the issues that matter to them. We start in Tampa. Republicans and Democrats want to lay claim to Florida’s Latino and

The program supporting thousands of Floridians with developmental and intellectual disabilities is likely in for an overhaul this year. Advocates had been relying on the Senate to save the ibudget program from being taken over by private companies. But Lynn Hatter reports, some say Republican Senator Aaron Bean’s proposal might be worse. If an extended family member has gained temporary custody of a child, a legislative proposal could allow courts to create a transition plan for that child to go

A bill to require parental consent for a minor’s abortion has one more stop to go before heading to the senate floor for a vote. If passed, it would penalize physicians for aborting a minor’s pregnancy without consent from their parents or guardians. Robbie Gaffney reports. A bill that would remove time limits for prosecuting sexual battery on minors cleared its first hurdle in the House today. Ryan Dailey reports lawmakers heard powerful testimony from a survivor of sexual assault, who now

Governor Ron DeSantis made the economy, environment and education his top-three issues for his second State of the State address to the Florida Legislature. Tom Flanigan says the Legislature’s Democrats remain unimpressed. Florida’s average teacher salary is among the lowest in the nation. The Florida Education Association says the state suffers from high turn-over rates and teacher shortages. Capital Reporters Robbie Gaffney and Victoria Dominguez report teachers marched to the state Capitol

In the upcoming months Florida lawmakers will grapple with a decision: how to stabilize the budget of one of its healthcare agencies. The Agency for Disabilities has run deficits in most years since it was created in the early 2000’s. Lawmakers have become increasingly frustrated about constantly having to backfill those deficits. But Lynn Hatter reports advocates are concerned over which chamber will get final say over how the agency moves forward. The future of Florida’s tourism arm is likely

K-12 education is teed up to be a topic of focus during the 2020 legislative session. At issue heading into January 14 are teacher pay and bonuses. Ryan Dailey has more on what to expect as lawmakers convene in Tallahassee. Session begins in less than two weeks and lawmakers will soon consider the issues they believe are most important. Blaise Gainey spoke with Senators in South, Central and North Florida about what they are looking forward to this session. As Legislative Session looms on the

The number of Florida School Districts that want teachers to carry guns is growing. When this story first aired in May, there were 30 districts participating in the state’s “Guardian” Program. Today, there are 39. We take a look at the ongoing debate over the program, and get an update on where districts are now. Lynn Hatter has more. As lawmakers prepare for the start of the legislative session many are looking for ways to address growing concerns about mass shootings. But what causes gun