Florida

Florida lawmakers Wednesday reached the halfway point in this year’s 60-day legislative session. The House and Senate have passed high-profile bills involving issues such as affordable housing and school vouchers, but major issues remain to be resolved.

Sen. Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, is sponsoring a bill that could increase scrutiny of insurance companies.

In a 6-2 party-line vote, the Republican-controlled Community Affairs Committee on Wednesday backed the bill (SB 1096), which would give standing to people to file lawsuits if they believe they have “lost history” or the ability to teach about the past because of monuments being removed or relocated or because the structures were not protected from damage.

FPL's plan, which the state Public Service Commission unanimously supported without discussion, will reduce customers’ monthly bills starting in May — and partially offset increases that took effect in April.

For decades, reproductive rights groups have warily eyed so-called crisis pregnancy centers that often have the appearance of abortion clinics but in reality push women toward parenting or adoption. These centers also typically discourage the use of contraceptives.

Before the arrest, Sen. Lauren Book (D-Plantation) and party chair Nikki Fried addressed the group. Fried said protests and voting are ways to fight restrictive policies.

Among the reasons for the rejection of the Holocaust Memorial proposal by Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boca Raton, was that the nearby site has the “structural integrity” to handle the added weight of the memorial and other planned monuments. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, ordering the clearing of the Senate seating gallery because of repeated outbursts from audience members opposed to the bill.

The concealed weapons bill Governor DeSantis signed Monday will do away with a decades-old licensing process, which has included requiring that people undergo firearms training and background screening to carry concealed weapons. The bill will require people carrying concealed firearms to have valid identification and “display such identification upon demand by a law enforcement officer.”

Hurricane Ian briefly reached maximum Category 5 status before weakening to a Category 4 storm as it blasted ashore last September in southwest Florida, eventually causing over $112 billion in damage in the U.S. and more than 150 deaths directly or indirectly, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Monday.

Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ countries announced surprise plans to cut oil production by more than a million barrels per day in an effort to prop up oil prices.