News Service of Florida

The Florida State Guard, revived by Gov. Ron DeSantis, could operate outside Florida and be called into service anytime he “deemed necessary,” under a bill approved Thursday by a House panel.The House Local Administration, Federal Affairs & Special Districts Subcommittee voted 11-3 to support a proposal (HB 1551) that would remove part of a law that keeps the State Guard’s activities only in the state.

The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to take up a challenge to the constitutionality of a congressional redistricting plan, but it appears the case will not be resolved before a candidate-qualifying deadline for the November elections.The Supreme Court issued an order saying it will hear an appeal by voting-rights groups and other plaintiffs, rejecting arguments by the state that it should turn down the case. The voting-rights groups went to the Supreme Court after the 1st District Court of Appeal on Dec. 1 upheld the constitutionality of the redistricting plan.

There are 21 cities in Florida that have police review boards, including Fort Myers and Bradenton, and bills introduced in the Florida legislature would prohibit them. A bill sponsor said the boards are divisive only second-guess police and don't have the experience to do that.

Survivors of crime and family members of victims gathered Tuesday at the Capitol to join lawmakers and advocates in calling for expanded support for victims and public-safety changes.

U.S. and Canadian officials this month discussed the Biden administration’s approval of a Florida plan to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada, which is concerned about safeguarding its drug supply.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a summary Monday about a Jan. 12 discussion between U.S. Secretary of Health Xavier Becerra and Canadian Health Minister Mark Holland.

Chancellor Ray Rodrigues, a former state lawmaker, initially received a three-year contract that took effect in November 2022.

The word “Florida” without a website address might be coming back to the state’s standard license plate.

The Florida Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a wide-ranging plan that President Kathleen Passidomo and other supporters tout as a strategy to expand health-care access as the state’s population continues to grow.

The Florida House on Wednesday began moving forward with a proposal that would restrict the types of flags that can be displayed at government buildings and schools, including preventing the display of LGBTQ pride flags.The bill (HB 901), sponsored by Rep. David Borrero, R-Sweetwater, and Rep. Randy Fine, R-Brevard County, drew heavy opposition from LGBTQ people, activists and parents and refueled legislative battles that have raged in recent years about LGBTQ-related issues.

A bill that would require people to verify their age before accessing online content that would be “harmful to minors” began advancing in the Florida House on Thursday, as Speaker Paul Renner has made the proposal a legislative priority. The bill (HB 3) would require any company that “knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes material harmful to minors on a website or application” to use “reasonable age verification methods” to prove that people accessing the site are at least 18 years old.