The Florida Supreme Court issued a surprise ruling in late May regarding expert witness testimony. Six years ago, the Florida Legislature adopted the Daubert standard for expert witnesses in court cases. But the state’s high court exercised its right to keep the Frye standard in place, which sets a lower threshold for what can be considered expert testimony. The makeup of the Florida Supreme Court changed last January when three retiring justices were replaced with appointments made by Governor

The U.S. Agriculture Department secretary was at a roundtable in Tallahassee today [Friday]. Shawn Mulcahy reports 8 months after Hurricane Michael, recovery still dominated the discussion. There’s an increasing trend of hurricanes stalling as they near the coast. Regan McCarthy reports that means more storms could bring more rain. Breaking precedent Florida Governor Ron Desantis is hiring a Chief Resiliency Officer to combat the effects of Climate Change. Kevin Del Orbe [del-Or-bay] reports on

The number of Florida School Districts that want teachers to carry guns is growing. Nearly half the districts in the state have signed up for the so-called “Guardian” Program and more have signaled they intend to do so. Lynn Hatter has more. This legislative session, Florida Lawmakers approved an overhaul of the state’s criminal justice system for the first time in years. If signed into law it would make major changes, including raising the felony theft threshold for the first time in over three

After Hurricane Michael slammed Florida’s Panhandle, courthouses were shuttered, law offices were closed and most communications were temporarily shut down. But Regan McCarthy reports the aftermath of a disaster is exactly when many people are most in need of help from the legal system. Governor Ron DeSantis will likely sign a bill prohibiting anti-Semitic speech in public schools during a week-long trip to Israel that kicks off Saturday. Ryan Dailey reports the measure passed both chambers

The Florida Chamber of Commerce has released its annual Legislative Report Card . The chamber says the report card helps hold state leaders accountable for how they vote on issues relating to Florida’s business climate.

Governor Ron DeSantis has approved a measure that could pave the way for the state’s first major highway expansion in decades. The effort has been led by state Senate President Bill Galvano who pushed the roads as a way to aid in evacuations, promote growth in rural parts of the state and help transport an ever growing population. But environmentalists argue the idea could be a disaster for fragile ecosystems. Lynn Hatter has more. Environmental advocates are questioning whether Florida

A Housing crisis has emerged in the wake of Hurricane Michael. Now state and federal money is on the way to address it. Lynn Hatter reports on what’s coming, and when people will begin to see an impact. And breaking late this (Friday) afternoon, Governor DeSantis announced that the Florida Division of Emergency Management is donating 50 FEMA travel trailers to Bay County. By securing these trailers from FEMA and working with Bay County, the department is helping to provide some much-needed

The Florida Legislature is expected to approve the final product of its budget for this year Saturday. Ryan Dailey reports both chambers got their turn to weigh in on the spending plan today. On the 60 th day of Florida’s session the legislature has passed a bill that details how a felon would go about getting their voting rights restored. The moves comes after 5.1 million Floridians voted to give felons who’ve completed their sentence and did not commit a felony sexual assault or murder their

The Florida Senate approved its tax cut package. Shawn Mulcahy has the details. Meanwhile, as the legislative session nears an end, lawmakers are sending bills to Governor Ron DeSantis’ desk for final approval. He can sign bills, veto them or let them pass without his signature. A bill that provides benefits to firefighters diagnosed with cancer is one of the latest bills heading to the Governor. But as Casey Chapter tells us its facing some opposition. In the first legislative session since the

With the passage of this Legislative session’s marquee school choice bill, a new private school voucher program is on the verge of being created. Ryan Dailey reports Senate Bill 7070 is now on the desk of Governor Ron DeSantis, who’s been a vocal supporter of school choice since before taking office. Weeks of negotiations between a top lawmaker and the Seminole Indian tribe yielded a proposed agreement toward a new gambling compact. But Gina Jordan reports the tentative deal that was reached