Florida News That Impacts You – June 7th, 2023
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- Governor DeSantis signed two additional bills into law on Tuesday. The Technology Transparency bill, which creates what DeSantis calls the “Digital Bill of Rights”, which mandates Floridians are able to control personal data online including the ability to access and delete all personal data stored by social media platforms, prohibiting 3rd party use of personal data obtained through the purchase of a home, health insurance or employment. The new law also calls for transparency with search algorithms and the ability to opt out of personal data collection online. The Rural Development bill, which streamlines infrastructure approval processes and grants programs for rural communities is now law as well.
- The governor also provided an update on “Operation Lone Star”, which is the state’s ongoing operation with the state of Texas to assist with the migrant crisis at the southern border. According to the state’s update, Florida’s teams of Guardsmen and law enforcement have encountered over 5,800 undocumented migrants crossing the border, have made 190 arrests for felony human smuggling and detained an MS-13 gang member on the U.S. Terror Watch list.
- Florida Tax Watch has identified $598.7 million in its annual “Budget Turkey Watch Report”. Budget turkeys are identified as projects that “circumvent transparency and accountability standards in public budgeting”. The University of Florida had the largest share of “turkeys” in this year’s state budget with approximately $169 million in non-transparent appropriations. Florida has a line-item veto provision which Governor DeSantis has used to make cuts to each of the four previous budgets he’s signed into law. Florida Tax Watch has historically had an influence in the process with its reporting.
- Gas prices dropped another penny Tuesday. Statewide the average price for regular unleaded is $3.33 per gallon – eight cents lower than a week ago. In Palm Beach County the average price remains $3.55 per gallon, which is the second highest in the state.