News
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - About 30 Florida conservation groups are telling Congress to reject a proposal that could lead to more water being kept in Lake Okeechobee during the dry season. Sugarcane and other farmer companies are pushing for what's known as the "Savings Clause" to be included in this year's Water Resources Development Act. It would force the lake to be managed at higher water levels that critics say are outdated.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A federal judge has signaled he'll find part of a Florida law restricting the voting rights of people with felony records unconstitutional. At the end of the trial Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle made it clear he intends to rule that Florida cannot force a person convicted of a felony to pay outstanding court debts in order to be eligible to vote.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The first two deaths in Florida's prison system related to the coronavirus comes as the system is seeing a spike in both staff and people serving time testing positive for COVID-19. Just over a week ago, the Florida Department of Corrections said 12 staff members and no inmates had tested positive. As of Tuesday, that grew to 56 staff members and 35 inmates, with a majority of the case explosion happening at the Blackwater River Correctional Facility in Florida's Panhandle, where two individuals reportedly died.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- In the quest to restore voting rights to the nearly 1.4 million Floridians with prior felony convictions, there is new hope that a class action designation will make that possible. Last week, a federal appeals court rejected a request by Gov. Ron DeSantis to review a prior decision which blocked a state law requiring former felons to pay back all legal financial obligations before they vote.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida's prison system has confirmed 12 workers testing positive for COVID-19, and some prison-rights groups say that alone should prompt testing of the prison population.The Florida Department of Corrections provides daily testing updates, and as of Tuesday, no one serving a prison sentence had tested positive, although a department spokesperson confirmed that they only test those experiencing symptoms, per county health department guidelines.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The news was spreading with excitement after a Florida appeals court affirmed the state can't stop some people released from prison from registering to vote just because they haven't paid all their court fees - but there's a caveat.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - With Florida's online voter registration deadline quickly approaching, voting rights groups want state officials to ensure they'll be transparent about their plans to troubleshoot any potential problems. The groups - which include the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and the Florida League of Women Voters - sent a letter to Secretary of State Laura Lee raising concerns about the state's readiness to handle issues if people rush to the website 'registertovoteflorida.gov.'
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Civil-rights advocates and families of people serving time in Florida prisons are rallying support for a package of prison-reform bills, including some that could help trim their loved ones' time behind bars.Kim Lawrence says her daughter was 15 when she was sentenced to prison for a home invasion in which no one was injured - but another teen had a gun. She's currently serving 10 years, with 10 years probation.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - This week, Florida's Capitol was jam-packed with the sticky hands of children to force policymakers to take note of their needs. The annual "Children's Week" kicked off last Sunday, with an event known as the "hanging of the hands" in the Capitol Rotunda. Tens of thousands of pieces of colorful "hand art" decorated by children and their teachers became the center of attention.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida Legislature could end the state's practice of suspending the licenses of people driving with unpaid fines and fees. About two million people in the state have had their drivers licenses suspended for nonpayment of traffic tickets or toll violations, criminal citations and other court fees.
