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Florida Wildfire Could Be Sign Of Things To Come Due To Debris From Hurricane MichaelA more than 600-acre wildfire in Bay County is a preview of the coming months as millions of tons of downed trees remain strewn across parts of Northwest Florida after Hurricane Michael, the state’s agriculture commissioner warned Monday.

Florida House Panel Recommends Stricter Scrutiny In Wake Of UCF ScandalThe Florida House’s top investigative committee adopted a series of recommendations on Thursday that would reform spending practices in the state university system.

Controversy Swirls Around Bans For Plastic Straws And SunscreenWhat started out as an effort to prevent local governments from regulating the distribution of plastic straws morphed Monday into a push for a study on the issue, lumped in with an attempt to prohibit cities and counties from banning certain sunscreens.

Florida Senate Fracking Bill Draws CriticismIncreased protections for the Everglades could be added to a controversial measure that would ban the oil- and gas-drilling technique known as fracking.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Pushes 'Sanctuary Cities' BanPushing a hard-line immigration stance that endeared him to conservative voters, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday called on lawmakers to pass a controversial measure to ban so-called sanctuary cities during the legislative session that begins next week.

Lawyer For Suspended Broward Sheriff Scott Israel Urges Focus On ‘Facts’A lawyer representing suspended Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel asked a Senate special master Tuesday to ensure an upcoming hearing is focused on the facts behind Israel’s ouster and not on "emotional evidence" surrounding last year's mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis Seeks To Delay Health Insurance ChangesRon DeSantis has proposed putting on hold an overhaul of the program that provides health-insurance coverage to employees.

New Florida Cannabis Chief Sees Potential In HempSaying hemp is poised to be a “multibillion-dollar industry in the state,” Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on Wednesday appointed the state’s first cannabis czar.

Revamped Florida Supreme Court Rejects Minimum Wage CaseIn the first major demonstration of an ideological shift on the revamped Florida Supreme Court, justices Tuesday refused to consider an appeal in a Miami Beach minimum-wage lawsuit that a former liberal-leaning majority of the court had scheduled to hear next month.

Money Sought For Mexico Beach Due To Damage From Hurricane MichaelHurricane Michael made landfall Oct. 10 in Mexico Beach as a Category 4 storm, causing massive damage.

Ex-Florida Prisons Chief Lands New Mexico JobFormer Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Julie Jones will take a similar post on the other side of the country, after being hired by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to head New Mexico’s prison system.

Florida Lawmakers Take Aim At Plastic Straw BansLocal governments wouldn’t be able to regulate single-use plastic straws under a measure filed Thursday in the House.

Florida Democrats Look To Regroup, Plot 2020 CourseAs they deal with painful election losses and try to devise a plan for the 2020 presidential election cycle, Florida Democratic Party leaders announced Thursday they have formed a commission to help build an infrastructure that they hope will yield future wins in the nation’s largest swing state.

Back-To-School Tax ‘Holiday’ Pitched In Florida SenateFloridians in August would get a 10-day sales tax “holiday” for back-to-school shopping, under a bill proposed Tuesday in the Senate.