Florida News – Highlights from around the state – January 29th
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the some of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- The first big step has been taken in the state Senate over teacher pay and education spending. The Senate Appropriations Education Subcommittee appropriated $825 million for teacher pay raises/bonuses statewide. This is slightly below the $900 million request by Governor DeSantis but would still represent the biggest increase in compensation in state history. The plan incorporates tenants of the Governor’s proposal but is a flex schedule over the next few years to hit targets (like $47,500 minimums for all teachers). Overall Education funding would increase by $762 million, or 3.3% over the current school year.
- The bill to eliminate wine container size limits passed in a House Committee. The bill also would let you leave a restaurant with an open bottle of wine and expand the ability for distilleries to bottle.
- A bill that’d ban anyone but veterinarians from declawing cats passed its first Agriculture Committee vote in the Senate and advances...
- The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed a record 136 manatees were killed via boaters in 2019. It’s the fourth consecutive year for record manatee deaths by boaters and 12 more than a year ago.
- Miami International is one of 20 airports that’s set to begin testing for corona virus. This will take place at the quarantine station at MIA.The testing comes on back of a travel warning from the CDC recommending only essential travel to China and was issued via Health and Human Services Director Alex Azar.