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Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet could be poised to approve spending more than $318 million to buy conservation land and enter other deals that would shield rural properties from development.State staff members have recommended that DeSantis and the Cabinet approve 20 proposals totaling 86,819 acres in 15 counties, from Santa Rosa County in the Panhandle to Glades and Martin counties along Lake Okeechobee. DeSantis and the Cabinet will meet Tuesday.

After a district judge found “animus” toward transgender people, a federal appeals court Wednesday heard arguments in a battle about a Florida law and regulations that restrict treatments for people with gender dysphoria.A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals took up Florida’s appeal of a decision last year by U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle that the restrictions were unconstitutionally discriminatory.

President Donald Trump emerged as the biggest winner Thursday as the Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a suite of measures aimed at strengthening enforcement of illegal immigration.Quickly signed into law by the governor, the wide-ranging plan toughens penalties for crimes committed by undocumented immigrants; creates a statewide immigration enforcement panel; imposes the death penalty for undocumented immigrants who commit first-degree murder or rape children; and makes it a state crime for undocumented immigrants to enter the state.

A federal appeals court will hear arguments in May in a closely watched case about whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2020 improperly shifted permitting authority to Florida for projects that affect wetlands.The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on Friday scheduled arguments May 5 as Florida and the EPA seek to overturn a district judge’s ruling in the lawsuit filed by conservation groups.

Florida's Attorney General is continuing a fight against what her office calls a violation of state Civil Rights laws by Starbucks.

Three days into his job, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Thursday announced a class-action lawsuit that alleges Target Corp. did not properly disclose to investors the risks of a 2023 LGBTQ Pride campaign that drew a consumer backlash and caused a drop in the retailer’s stock price.Uthmeier and private attorneys filed the 163-page lawsuit in federal court in Fort Myers on behalf of the State Board of Administration, which manages Florida’s massive pension fund and other investments. The lawsuit is one of at least three similar cases against Target in Florida.

Florida lawmakers have started filing what are expected to be hundreds of proposals seeking money for local projects and programs — but legislative leaders are cautioning not to expect as much spending as in the past few years.As of Tuesday morning, House members had filed 40 funding proposals, while one had been filed in the Senate, according to legislative websites. Lawmakers will consider the proposals as they negotiate a budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year during the legislative session that will start March 4.

Records related to a state House probe of a nonprofit linked to First Lady Casey DeSantis’ signature Hope Florida assistance program are part of an “open” investigation, Leon County State Attorney Jack Campbell’s office said Tuesday.House Health Care Budget Chairman Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, submitted records to Campbell’s office late last month after concluding a House inquiry into the Hope Florida Foundation, a nonprofit linked to the Hope Florida program.