News Service of Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday called for state lawmakers to address pet-breeding facilities, derided as “puppy mills,” during the upcoming legislative session. “Now, many breeders take care of their animals and treat them with dignity and respect,” DeSantis said during an appearance at Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Loxahatchee. “No doubt, there are some bad actors who keep these animals in inhumane conditions, and we want to put an end to that type of practice in the state of Florida.”

State Rep. Vicki Lopez, a Miami Republican and former Lee County Commissioner who has been one of House Speaker Daniel Perez’s top lieutenants, is leaving the Legislature after a divided Miami-Dade County Commission tapped her to fill an open seat. In a 7-5 vote Tuesday, the commission appointed Lopez to succeed Eileen Higgins, who vacated the seat to run for Miami mayor.

The House Select Committee on Property Taxes is tentatively scheduled to meet Nov. 20 as lawmakers consider proposals to cut homeowners’ taxes.

A property-insurance company last week agreed to pay a $250,000 fine to resolve allegations that it violated state laws in handling claims after Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Idalia, according to an order posted on the state Office of Insurance Regulation website.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday directed the state university system to end using what are known as H-1B visas to hire employees from other countries.During an appearance at the University of South Florida in Tampa, DeSantis questioned why state universities had staff members on H-1B visas such as a public-policy professor from China, a psychologist and counselor from the United Kingdom, an athletics operations and communications coordinator from Trinidad and Tobago and an assistant swim coach from Spain.

A House Republican on Tuesday filed a proposal that would re-designate a road at each Florida state university and college to honor conservative leader Charlie Kirk, who was murdered last month in Utah. The main and circular FGCU Boulevard at Florida Gulf Coast University would be re-designated as Charlie James Kirk Boulevard.

About 40 percent of the flight attendants being furloughed by Dania Beach-based Spirit Airlines work out of Florida, according to letters the air carrier, which filed for bankruptcy last month, sent to the state Department of Commerce. The company announced this week it planned to furlough 1,800 of its 5,200 flight attendants nationally starting Dec. 1.