Florida News – Highlights from around the state – January 16th
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the some of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- Governor DeSantis announced the state has reached a deal to purchase 20,000 acres of land in the Everglades spanning 150 miles between Miami and Fort Myers using resources from the Florida Forever funds and the South Florida Water Management District if needed. The land is currently privately owned and slated to be used for oil exploration. Governor DeSantis said the land will now be protected permanently.
- The first full day of the Florida state session saw the following proposed bills taking next steps: Occupational Licensing & Parental Consent for abortions – both of which stalled last year but were once again addressed during Governor DeSantis’s address, the ATM Pill bill, Drone use for invasive species, the independent nurse bill, Sunscreen preemption bill,insulin price cap bill & fireworks bill.
- The Southern Poverty Law Center filed a lawsuit against the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission on behalf of March for Our Lives alleging violations of Florida’s “Sunshine Law”, which mandates open meetings by government advisory boards. They’re seeking a stay from any future recommendations by the committee until the case has been decided.
- Turtle poachers were found to have smuggled more than 5,500 protected turtles from South Florida over three years. The smugglers sold the turtles to buyers in Hong Kong in 16 shipments over three years.The turtles targeted were Diamondback Terrapins, Florida Box Turtles, Mud Turtles and Spotted Turtles. Experts say it will take decades for the populations to recover.