News Service of Florida

Environmental groups Monday urged a federal appeals court to reject Florida’s request for a stay of a district judge’s ruling in a battle about permitting authority for projects that affect wetlands. Attorneys from the Earthjustice legal organization filed a 37-page brief at the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia disputing Florida’s arguments that the ruling by U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss should be put on hold while an appeal plays out.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Chairman Rodney Barreto wants the wildlife agency to renew efforts to designate a “state bird” that is unique to Florida.

After Rep. Spencer Roach, R-North Fort Myers, announced last month he will not run again this fall, a third candidate has emerged to try to succeed him in the Florida House.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials hope they are seeing decreased incidents of what are described as “erratically spinning fish” and smalltooth sawfish deaths in the Florida Keys. Gil McRae, director of the commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, told commissioners Wednesday that a decrease in incidents of spinning fish the past two weeks could be a sign “we're on the tail end of this event.”

State data released last week showed that 776,941 insurance claims had been reported from Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in Southwest Florida in 2022 and crossed the state.

Estimated insured losses from 2022’s Hurricane Ian have neared $21.4 billion, with about 6 percent of claims remaining open, according to data posted this week on the state Office of insurance Regulation website.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday he will approve $1.5 billion directed towards Everglades cleanup that was included in the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, which he has not yet received.

The state Agency for Health Care Administration on Friday announced plans to award contracts to five health plans to take part in the Medicaid managed-care program. The contracts will involve tens of billions of dollars in the coming years, with about 3.45 million people receiving health care through the managed-care system as of February, according to data posted on the agency’s website.

State Rep. Spencer Roach, R-North Fort Myers, announced Friday he will not seek re-election to a fourth term in the Florida House. “I have learned to listen to my gut when I experience restlessness or a sense (that it’s) time for a change,” Roach said in an online post. He did not outline future plans.

A controversial bill that would prevent investigations of local law enforcement by civilian review boards was formally sent Wednesday to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The measure (HB 601), which the Legislature passed last month, would affect at least 21 cities with civilian review boards. The Legislature on Wednesday also sent a bill (SB 184) to DeSantis that would make it a crime to “harass” law enforcement officers, correctional probation officers, firefighters or emergency medical-care providers while they're working.