Florida News That Impacts You – June 28th, 2023
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- Governor DeSantis signed seven bills into law on Tuesday including... The Controlled Substance Testing bill which decriminalizes the use of fentanyl test strips in Florida. The Hemp bill is now law which regulates the amount of allowable THC in hemp products and adds hemp extracts to the definition of food among several regulatory tweaks to the products’ use within the state. The Chiefs of Police bill was signed into law which mandates municipalities provide written notice of terminations of police chiefs in advance of termination and requires a public hearing in order to complete the termination process.
- The governor also issued his 3rd and 4th vetoes on Tuesday including... The Expunction of Criminal History Records bill which would have expanded the types of criminal convictions which could have been expunged under state law. The Criminal Sentencing bill was also vetoed which would have allowed cashless bail under certain conditions along with alternatives to probation for certain offenses.
- The Army Corps of Engineers announced a new “Wet Season Strategy” for managing Lake Okeechobee discharges. According to the Corps: Our wet season strategy is to manage Lake Okeechobee by making beneficial releases to downstream environments and water users for as long as possible while considering system conditions and communicating with our partners and stakeholders. The announcement comes amid a new report that up to 90% of Lake Okeechobee is currently covered in toxic algae and amid a delay in the implementation of the new long-term operating schedule called LOSOM which was to take effect after the completion of dike renovations. The renovations were completed earlier this year.
- Gas prices dropped another penny on Tuesday. Statewide the average price for regular unleaded is $3.33 per gallon – 5 cents lower than a week ago. In Palm Beach County the average price is $3.50 per gallon, which is the second highest in the state.