Florida News That Impacts You – December 6th, 2022
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.
- Gas prices dropped another two cents per gallon to reach a statewide average of $3.25 - 11 cents lower than a week ago. In Southeast Florida prices range from an average low of $3.30 per gallon in Broward, to an average high of $3.48 per gallon in the Palm Beaches.
- There’s another indication that the just completed midterm election cycle may have been the smoothest in Florida’s history. Recently Governor DeSantis said the state’s new Election Crimes Division has thus far found no cases of potential voter fraud this cycle. On Monday the non-partisan watchdog organization Integrity Florida said they found no evidence of “ghost candidates”, or essentially shell candidates added to ballots by political operatives to attempt to aid their preferred candidate in an election. In the previous cycle Integrity Florida identified a candidate, by the name of Alex Rodriguez, in the state senate race narrowly won by Ileana Garcia, was a ghost candidate. An investigation revealed Rodriguez had been paid $45,000 to enter the race by former state Senator Frank Artiles.
- Governor DeSantis has launched a new program aimed at helping victims of Hurricane Ian named Unite Florida. The portal, IanRecovery.Fl.Gov allows victims of Ian to apply online for benefits. DeSantis said.... We launch the Unite Florida Portal, one-stop-shop where impacted Floridians can apply for state housing programs, as well as, report other unmet needs including transportation and food assistance.
- The US Environmental Protection Agency served Florida notice that the state is in violation of the Clean Water Act. According to the EPA, Florida’s current criteria for tracking 40 toxic pollutants found in our waters is insufficient. In the EPA’s letter to the state, they stated they are “evaluating next steps to further strengthen protection of Florida’s waters.”