Florida News That Impacts You – March 31st, 2023
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida. Gas prices continued lower through the weekend.
- Recent movers in the state legislative session included the Public Safety, or Constitutional Carry bill. On a party-line vote, the Senate passed the bill which will bring the permitless carrying of firearms to Florida. In related news, Governor DeSantis said he’d be willing to call a special session to consider “open carry”, which was not included in this bill, if there are the votes for it. The Death Penalty bill, which would lower the threshold required for a death sentence from a unanimous jury vote to a two-thirds threshold, passed the senate on a party-line vote. The Senate bill will be taken up by the House.
- Gas prices rose another two cents per gallon on Thursday. Statewide the average price for regular unleaded is now $3.48 per gallon – 2 cents higher than a week ago. In Palm Beach County the average price remained $3.63 per gallon, which is once again the highest price in the state.
- A study by wildlife advocate AZ Animals, has identified the most dangerous animals by way of personal interaction in Florida. The top three – 3. American Crocodile 2. American Alligator 1. Bull sharks
- As we wrap up the first quarter of the year, and the winter manatee lettuce feeding program, there’s potentially good news at ground zero for winter manatee deaths over the prior two years. Brevard County, which includes the state’s most important manatee habitat – the Indian River Lagoon, has seen only 12 deaths in the year’s first quarter. That compares to 275 deaths in 2021 and 281 manatee deaths over the same time last year.