Florida News that impacts you – September 17th
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the some of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- Florida has been approved by the CDC as one of the first five pilot states for COVID-19 vaccines. The designation will enable Floridians to gain early access to FDA approved vaccine candidates.
- The Florida Education Association is calling on the Florida Department of Health to produce a specific dashboard to monitor COVID-19 infections in daycare facilities, schools and colleges. The FEA believes the state is privately tracking this information but not releasing it publicly.
- Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio are once again attempting to keep Florida in Daylight Saving Time. They’ve introduced legislation which would keep the US in DST in 2021. Citing the pandemic as a new reason to consider remaining in DST – which studies have proven would be best for our economy and health – they're hoping to gain additional traction this year. Florida law allows for permanently remaining in DST, however federal law must enable Florida’s request for the change to take effect.
- The State has purchased additional 10,700 acres of land from Clewiston based citrus company Alico as part of the Florida Forever program. The land which is generally south and west of Lake Okeechobee will be protected as part of the state’s conservation program.