News Service of Florida

The 2024 legislative session kicked off this week, as Gov. Ron DeSantis urged lawmakers to “stay the course” and House and Senate leaders agreed to use gambling money to fund the further expansion of a state wildlife corridor.DeSantis, who has spent much of his time in Iowa trying to sway voters in his campaign for president, made a pitstop in the Florida Capitol to deliver his annual State of the State address. The governor’s speech in the state House chamber formally launching the 60-day session came six days before the crucial Iowa caucuses.

While House members have proposed spending more than $7 billion on projects and programs, Speaker Paul Renner is pushing “conservative” spending as the budget is put together over the next two months.It remains to be seen what that means for more than 2,800 projects and programs, from assisting cultural organizations to building educational facilities and railroad right-of-way, that House members are seeking to fund — at a total cost of $7.1 billion.

With his presidential campaign in the background, Gov. Ron DeSantis used his annual State of the State address Tuesday to tout Florida’s accomplishments — while offering few new details of priorities for the 2024 legislative session.DeSantis’ speech in the state House chamber formally launched the 60-day session and came six days before the crucial Iowa caucuses in the fight for the Republican presidential nomination.

The state Republican Party’s executive committee Monday removed embattled Chairman Christian Ziegler and elevated Vice Chairman Evan Power to lead the party as the 2024 election year gets underway.Power said after the meeting the party is “moving forward.” While acknowledging a pause in fundraising, he said he didn’t anticipate lingering effects from the scandal surrounding Ziegler, who has been under police investigation because of an alleged sexual assault.

Orange County lawmakers Friday backed a longshot proposal that could essentially return to the Walt Disney Co. control of a special taxing district that was revamped after Gov. Ron DeSantis got into a feud with the entertainment giant.In a voice vote, members of the Democrat-dominated Orange County legislative delegation supported a proposed House bill that seeks another redo of the former Reedy Creek Improvement District. The proposal would repeal a law passed last year that renamed the Reedy Creek district as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and gave DeSantis authority to appoint the district’s board.

Mirroring a House bill filed in November, a Senate Republican on Thursday proposed a measure that would place restrictions on government agencies in the use of personal pronouns. Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, filed the proposal (SB 1382) for consideration during the 2024 legislative session, which will start Tuesday.

A House Republican on Thursday renewed an attempt to lower the minimum age from 21 to 18 for people to buy rifles and other long guns in Florida, potentially reversing part of a law that passed in the aftermath of the 2018 mass shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.Rep. Bobby Payne, R-Palatka, filed the proposal (HB 1223) for consideration during the 2024 legislative session, which will start Tuesday. The House passed a virtually identical bill during the 2023 session, but the Senate did not take up the issue.

A legal battle has intensified about public records related to travel by Gov. Ron DeSantis, as The Washington Post accused the governor’s office of taking “control” of Florida Department of Law Enforcement compliance with the state’s Sunshine Law.A lawsuit about the records has roiled the FDLE, resulting in whistleblower complaints and the ouster of two high-ranking officials.

A Fort Myers state senator and a Jacksonville state representative have both introduced bills that would punish local officials who attempt to have Confederate memorials removed.

A top retail-industry official is optimistic businesses will get a boost when Florida for the first time offers a back-to-school tax “holiday” as students return from the winter break.At the same time, Florida Retail Federation President and CEO Scott Shalley acknowledges being somewhat apprehensive that the tax-free shopping period on clothes, school supplies and personal computers could get lost in the crowd of holidays as the calendar turns to 2024.