News
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - As of today, Florida property owners can grow fresh produce in their yards without fear of local government restrictions. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 82 last week, which prohibits local governments from banning vegetable gardens on any part of a residential property.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - While most of the country celebrates Juneteenth to commemorate the end of chattel slavery, Florida celebrates its own Emancipation Day a month earlier on May 20. In fact, several states celebrate the end of slavery before the Emancipation Proclamation was read in Texas on June 19, 1865.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Almost a decade after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, government agencies are still spending millions of dollars to restore the Gulf of Mexico. The Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group is planning to spend about $130 million over the next seven years to study, restore and manage deep sea habitat, including coral communities in the Gulf.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Incarcerated women could soon be guaranteed access to basic hygiene products, like pads and tampons, under a bill awaiting Gov. Ron DeSantis's signature. Growing complaints about the treatment of women behind bars has caught state lawmakers' attention and prompted passage of the "Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act." It would require prisons and jails to make feminine-hygiene products available "at no cost to the woman, and in a quantity that is appropriate" for her needs.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The public can weigh in on fishing boats using a device that could save millions of deep-water fish from dying of the bends during catch-and-release. Fishermen often discard fish that aren't their target species, when they exceed catch limits or when the fish are too small. Federal research says of the six reef fish species caught most in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, about 11% that are thrown back die after release.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In the final week of Florida's legislative session, it appears a bill has stalled that would have required minors to get parental consent before having an abortion. Florida law currently requires parents to be notified if their daughter is planning to have an abortion, but the bill which already passed the House, goes further by requiring parental consent. The bill includes exemptions for situations such as minors who have health emergencies or who already have children.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Legislature is considering bills that would make it easier for people to get some of their healthcare services – possibly including eye care – online.The "telehealth" bills help doctors use technology to provide services to patients remotely. It's a big change that has many industry groups at odds over the regulatory framework. However, supporters say the expansion should include ocular telehealth, or online eye care. They say it can provide affordable and much-needed access to people in hard-to- reach communities.
MIAMI – Exactly one year from Monday, the official count of every resident of the United States begins with the 2020 Census. But Florida has long had problems getting an accurate count of its children. Nearly 1 million children were missed in the last census, according to data from Florida KIDS COUNT. It's a major concern, because the census count determines the federal dollars allocated to communities, as well as how they're represented in Congress. Donovan Lee-Sin, public policy and community engagement officer for The Children's Trust, says at least 200,000 children could go uncounted, simply because their families are hard to reach.
March 13, 2019
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Thousands of gardens across the state of Florida are playing a part in saving pollinators and the nation's food system. The Million Pollinator Garden Challenge was launched in 2015 as part of a nationwide call to revive collapsing bee colonies and improve the health of birds, bats, butterflies and other pollinators. The challenge was to register a million new gardens through the National Pollinator Garden Network – and through the efforts of schools, garden clubs, and mayors promoting community gardens, the goal was exceeded by 40,000 gardens.
March 4, 2019
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Those who provide comfort and protection for Floridians in crisis say they need more support. March is National Professional Social Work Month, and in Florida, more than 21,000 social workers provide assistance in schools, hospitals, mental health facilities and social service agencies.
Jim Akin, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers in Florida, says social workers often are unrecognized and under-compensated for their work, and that people often are surprised when they realize that social workers are everywhere.
