Florida House

The vacancy left behind by the death of U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings will be one of the longest in modern American history. Now, the ripple effects are coming to light in the race to fill his seat.

They include a requirement for out-of-state online retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases made by Floridians, and surveys to assess the “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” at state colleges and universities.

The bipartisan bill was a compromise supported by House leadership. It passed 113 to 0.

Law enforcement agencies could use drones to survey crowds, assist in traffic management, and collect evidence at a crime scene or traffic crash. That's under a proposal that passed a Senate vote and is heading for a House vote. But some lawmakers have raised concerns over how the bill could impact someone's privacy.

The measure would prevent doctors from performing abortions that women seek because of tests showing that fetuses will have disabilities.

A measure that would allow people to carry in guns in churches and other religious institutions, even when they’re attached to schools, has passed in the Florida House. Supporters say it’s a property rights issue. But many Democrats are raising concerns about what the measure could mean for guns in classrooms.

In a culmination of weeks of controversial debate, the Florida House on Friday passed House Bill 1, a broad anti-rioting legislation that is one of the top legislative priorities of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The bill is called the Parents Bill of Rights and it gives parents ultimate say in the direction of their child’s education and healthcare planning. Supporters argue the bill clarifies what’s already supposed to happen, but opponents worry the measure may open the door to discriminate against LGBTQ and minority students and allow parents to opt out of immunizations and health exams.

A series of proposals — from requiring the governor to justify closing schools and businesses to limiting the authority of local governments — have been lumped into a House bill aimed at bracing Florida for the next health care crisis as it continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Florida is in the midst of what some call a “maternal mortality crisis” Officials say mothers are dying preventable deaths, often months after childbirth. Florida lawmakers are hoping to fight that by extending the time mothers can receive health coverage through Medicaid from the current 2-months, to a year.

In all, the plan would provide $244 million for benefits, which also include mental health counseling. Under current law, many women lose their benefits 60 days after having children.

In a party-line vote Monday, the House Public Integrity & Elections Committee signed off on a measure that would give supervisors of elections less leeway when comparing signatures on mail-in ballots, require voters to request mail-in ballots for each general election and make it harder to submit other people’s ballots at drop boxes.