Gina Jordan

A legislative budget panel this week gave Gov. Ron DeSantis millions more dollars to pump into storm recovery projects, two weeks after category 4 Hurricane Ian landed in Southwest Florida and crossed the state. Ian landed nearly 4 years after category 5 Michael hit the Panhandle, where recovery continues.

The Florida Supreme Court will hear a challenge to a 2011 state law surrounding guns. Leon County government is part of the case.

Governor Ron DeSantis has announced a batch of new funding to address student learning loss. The money comes from federal COVID-19 relief funds. It will be used for after-school programs, reading intervention, and the creation of regional mental health teams.

Florida students may soon be required to earn a half credit in personal finance and money management under legislation getting bipartisan support.

State leaders are considering setting a minimum wage for school workers of $15 an hour. It comes amid staffing shortages in positions such as bus drivers and food service workers.

State and local governments may soon be banned from doing business with transportation companies that knowingly bring undocumented immigrants into Florida.

A Republican proposal would make changes to public-employee unions in Florida. Under the bill, workers would no longer be allowed to have dues deducted from their paychecks. But the proposal doesn’t apply to all such unions.

The United States Space Force was the target of a brief and pun-filled discussion this week at the Florida Capitol. Despite the bad jokes, a legislative plan would give the Space Force a legit place in state law.

The Florida Legislature is making a return trip to vacation rental legislation. For years, lawmakers have tried to determine how much say municipalities should have in regulating such properties.

Physicians and other health professionals issued a call Monday - hours before a special session in Tallahassee - for Florida lawmakers to reject any bans on COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates.