Florida's recap – Highlights from around the state – October 23rd
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the some of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- Florida has agreed to pay Florida Crystals $2.4 million to terminate its lease with land required for the southern reservoir as part of the Everglades Restoration Project and the plant to have water from Lake O’ move south through the Everglades. The project will now require cooperation from the Army Corps of Engineers. Pending approval, the state believes the project could begin by year’s end.
- A bill cleared the House Health & Human Services Committee on a party line vote, its final stop before a full House vote, that would require parental consent for abortions in Florida. It will now need to be taken up in three state senate committees.
- As the state Senate prepares for a final vote to uphold Governor DeSantis’s suspension of former Broward Sheriff Scott Israel, Governor DeSantis stated that he wouldn’t suspend him again for the issues at Stoneman Douglas and FLL if he wins the election next year. Israel has filed to run for election regardless of the outcome of the Senate vote.
- The National Transportation Safety Review Board’s review of the FIU pedestrian bridge collapse determined that there were significant design errors with the bridge as constructed. The NTSB stated that they believe the FDOT should have greater oversight on these types of projects in the future.