Category: Florida

IRS Data Says Florida Is a Top Choice of Americans on the Move

The Center Square

New federal data says Florida is one of the most desired destinations for Americans wanting to move and continues to be the fastest growing state in the country.

According to the 2020-21 IRS migration data, Florida has gained more people than any other state in the U.S since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The Sunshine State’s government continues to add more employment opportunities and tax breaks, enhancing the chances migration to Florida could continue on the same trend.

The IRS data is derived from income tax filings.

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DeSantis Signs Bill Allowing Prosecutors to Seek Death Penalty for Convicted Pedophiles

Just the News

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is advancing his tough-on-crime message by signing a new package of crime bills, including one that would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty for some found guilty of pedophile-related crimes.

DeSantis, a Republican, signed the bills into law Monday, including one, which allows for the death penalty for those found guilty of “sexual battery against children under the age of 12,” the governor’s office said.

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DeSantis Takes Hard Anti-Crime Stance by Signing Three Florida Bills into Law

The Center Square

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law three anticrime bills on Monday that the Republican says will strengthen pre-trial detention and push back against “soft on crime” policies that have made other states less safe.

“One of the main things people say when they come, is that they just want to be in a place that takes public safety seriously.” DeSantis said, noting that Florida’s 50-year-low crime rate is a main driver for people who relocate to the Sunshine State.

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Trip to U.K. Solidifies Possible Financial Help with Property Insurance Reform

The Center Square

As part of the last leg of a four-country trade mission, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met with political and business leaders in the U.K. to address ongoing and new trade relationships. He also secured a commitment from British companies to increase access to property insurance carriers to stabilize Florida’s market.

While in London, DeSantis met with Foreign Minister James Cleverly and MP Kemi Badenochs, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and president of the Board of Trade in the UK.

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Florida Lawmakers Pass Bill Allowing DeSantis to Run for President Without Resigning

Just the News

Florida lawmakers on Friday approved reforms to the state’s “resign to run” requirements that would allow Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to seek the presidency without resigning from his post.

The state requires candidates to resign from their elected posts once they qualify for the ballot when seeking higher office, CNN reported. Lawmakers approved revising the measure to exclude “any person seeking the office of President or Vice President of the United States.”

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Florida House Passes Bill That Would Change How Unions Operate in the State

The Center Square

Florida could change the way unions operate through legislation that proponents say would force union representatives to be more involved and available to their members while ensuring non-members don’t face discrimination.

Senate Bill 256 is sponsored by Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill and it would require union members to sign a membership authorization form recognizing Florida as a right to work state before they join.

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Tennessee Among the States Supporting Florida’s Lawsuit to Enforce Prohibiting Medicaid Payments for Gender Transition procedures

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Seventeen attorneys general have filed an amicus brief supporting Florida’s healthcare regulation that denies Medicaid coverage for gender transitioning procedures.

They’re supporting Florida’s motion for summary judgment in the lawsuit August Dekker v. Jason Weida in the U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida Tallahassee Division.

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Florida Ramps Up Law Enforcement Recruitment Efforts Nationwide

The Center Square

The state of Florida ramped up its law enforcement recruitment efforts nationwide through a job fair held Thursday in all 50 states to encourage more law enforcement officers to relocate to the state.

Expanding on an invitation from Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2021 to law enforcement officers in other states to relocate to a state where he said they would be appreciated, Attorney General Ashley Moody, the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) and the Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA) are sponsoring the new national law enforcement recruitment effort.

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Florida Passes Bill Enacting Death Penalty for Sexual Abusers of Children

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On Tuesday, the Florida State Legislature passed a bill that would enact the death penalty for those who are convicted of sexually abusing children.

As the New York Post reports, the bipartisan bill passed in the Florida State Senate by a margin of 34 to 5 on Tuesday night, after previously passing in the Florida House of Representatives by a 95 to 14 margin last week. The bill would apply to anyone who is convicted of abusing a child below the age of 12, and would also allow the death penalty to be handed down by a jury vote of at least 8 to 4, rather than a unanimous jury vote as previously required.

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New Whistleblower Alleges Myriad Violations of Florida Law by County Elections Office

Just the News

A new whistleblower alleges that the Orange County Supervisor of Elections (SOE) office has violated Florida election law in myriad ways, declaring that in Orange County elections there is “no accountability from beginning to end.” 

In a sworn affidavit filed with the Florida Secretary of State’s office, poll worker Robin Wheeler alleges that the Orange County SOE office committed numerous violations of state law, including: having poll workers cast ballots for voters after they left the polling site, hiring poll workers from outside the county and state, changing voters’ addresses without using the required forms, not accounting for ballots, and letting minors cast ballots for their parents.

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Florida Board of Education Approves Expansion of ‘Parental Rights in Education’ Bill to Ban Classroom LGBTQ Instruction in All K-12 Grades

Susan Berry, PhD

The Florida Board of Education has approved an expansion of the state’s “Parental Rights in Education” bill that would prohibit classroom instruction in sexual orientation and gender identity in all K-12 grades, rather than only K-3.

In March 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed into law H.B.1557, known as the “Parental Rights in Education” bill, a measure that bans classroom instruction by teachers or third parties on the topics of sexual orientation or gender identity in grades K-3, “or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”

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Moody Seeks Investigation into Biden Administration’s Handling of Minors Trafficked to U.S.

The Center Square

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody called on Congress on Tuesday to investigate the Biden administration for what she described as “subjecting unaccompanied minors to human trafficking.”

Moody did so after reporting the findings of a Florida statewide grand jury “documenting horrible conditions unaccompanied minors experience because of the Biden administration’s failed policies and lack of oversight.”

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Report: Florida Ranked First in Economic Performance over Past Decade

The Center Square

Florida is yet again one of the top 10 ranked states for economic performance and economic outlook.

The annual Rich States, Poor States report from the American Legislative Exchange Council shows the Sunshine State outperforming all other states economically over the past decade and for net in-migration, thanks to the state’s low tax burdens and worker-friendly policies.

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Florida AG Moody Sues Federal Agencies for Failing to Respond to FOIA Requests

The Center Square

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is suing two federal agencies for failing to respond to Freedom of Information requests filed over a year ago. The FOIA requests relate to a Biden administration program that allegedly used taxpayer money to purchase crack pipes for drug addicts, she said.

In February 2022, Florida sent FOIA requests to the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services asking for records about the use of federal grant funds being used to promote drug use through safe smoking kits, some of which reportedly included crack pipes and other drug-related paraphernalia.

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As DeSantis Takes on Woke Universities, Key Supporter Gives Harvard $300 Million

Just the News

Even as Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to galvanize conservatives with his efforts to combat woke political indoctrination in public schools and universities, his largest donor last election cycle is making headlines for a colossal donation to Harvard University.

Harvard announced this week that hedge fund billionaire and GOP megadonor Ken Griffin had donated $300 million to the school’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The university, in turn, intends to rename its Graduate School of Arts and Sciences after him. A graduate of Harvard, Griffin is the CEO of Citadel investing firm.

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Detransitioners Back Florida Medicaid Rule amid LGBT Legal Challenge

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Three “detransitioners”—men who underwent surgeries in pursuit of a female gender identity but later rejected that identity—filed a legal brief supporting a Florida health agency’s rule preventing Medicaid from reimbursing for transgender medical interventions.

Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration finalized the rule in August 2022, declaring that Medicaid would not cover “puberty blockers,” hormones, “sex reassignment” surgeries, or other procedures that alter primary or secondary sex characteristics.

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Professor Says He ‘Would Burn’ Down Florida College in Resignation Letter

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A New College of Florida (NCF) professor wrote that he would burn down campus buildings if he were not “more patriotic,” according to a letter sent to interim President Richard Corcoran.

Aaron Hillegass, NCF director of applied data science, wrote to Corcoran to inform that he would not be renewing his contract when it expires on August 22, according to the letter posted to Twitter. The notice came in opposition to turning the Florida college into “The Hillsdale of the South,” a nod to the conservative Michigan school, after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed six conservative members to the Board of Trustees in January.

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Florida Gains 530 Police Officers After DeSantis Launches Recruitment Program

The Center Square

In one year, over 530 police officers have relocated to Florida from 48 states and U.S. territories to take advantage of Florida’s Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program.

On April 1 last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 3 into law, which included a wide range of law enforcement initiatives, including incentives to encourage both out-of-state residents and Floridians to join state and local law enforcement agencies. The recruitment program includes signing bonuses for every recruit, costs covered for training programs and relocation expenses, pay raises and $1,000 bonuses. It also created a Law Enforcement Academy Scholarship Program for children of law enforcement officers and adoption benefits for officers.

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DeSantis Signs Constitutional Carry into Law

The Center Square

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s constitutional carry bill into law on Monday.

HB 543, co-sponsored by state Reps. Bobby Payne, R-Palatka, Chuck Brannan, R-Macclenny, and state Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, who filed a companion bill in the Senate, allows Floridians to carry concealed weapons without a government-issued permit. It also expands law enforcement and educational programs and safety requirements.

After the law goes into effect July 1, Florida will become the 26th state to enact a Constitutional Carry law.

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Florida House Passes Bill to Extend Parent Rights in Education Act

The Center Square

Florida lawmakers have passed several education reforms this session, but the one drawing the most attention might be an extension of the Parent Rights in Education Act signed last session.

House Bill 1069 passed the state House on March 31 and reinforces parental rights in education and further prohibits classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation, extending the ban from kindergarten through eighth grade.

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Former Governor Candidate Arrested at Protest After Florida Senate Passes Abortion Bill

The Center Square

The Florida Senate on Monday passed the Heartbeat Protection Act, which would prohibit abortions from being performed in the state after six weeks gestation. In response, protestors including state Democratic leaders were arrested after sitting on and obstructing the street outside of City Hall near the state capitol.

Randy Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said, “Now DeSantis is arresting his opponents,” tweeting a video posted by Planned Parenthood, which claimed the protestors were engaged in “peaceful protest.”

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Florida Bill Could Increase Penalties for Dealers for Overdose Deaths

The Center Square

Individuals who sell controlled substances in the Sunshine State such as fentanyl could face serious penalties for the overdose deaths of drug users if a new bill is signed into law.

Senate Bill 280 revises definitions for what constitutes first degree, second and third degree murder and also provides harsher penalties for adults who distribute, deliver, sell, or dispense specified substances that result in an injury or death to the user.

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Professor Suggests University of South Florida Students Support Leftist Students Charged with Assault, Battery in Department-Wide Email

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In an email obtained by Campus Reform in early March, a professor at the University of South Florida (USF) suggested ways for her students to show support for students arrested during a protest organized by the leftist organization Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

The protest was held in response to Governor DeSantis’ efforts to defund diversity, equity, and inclusion and critical race theory initiatives at public universities in Florida. The four individuals arrested during the protest were each charged with either “assault or battery of law enforcement,” student newspaper The Oracle reported.

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Florida Lawmaker Denies Draft Elections Bill Will Greenlight DeSantis’ Presidential Run

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The Florida Senate President said the draft elections shell bill filed Thursday won’t include changes to the resign-to-run law that could stand in the way of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential run.

Senate proposed Bill 7050, filed by the Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections, will “revise bills relating to elections,” and Florida’s resign-to-run law might require the governor to resign from office before he can run for president. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said in a press conference Thursday evening that the bill won’t address that law, and that she’s still mulling it over.

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Florida AG Taking Action Against Antifa, Activists Who Vandalized Florida Pregnancy Centers

The Center Square

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody sued two members of Antifa and Jane’s Revenge over accusations they vandalized Florida crisis pregnancy centers last year.

After the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision was leaked in the landmark abortion case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, pro-abortion activists and members of “criminal organizations sought to silence and intimidate crisis pregnancy centers’ workers and clients nationwide by vandalizing or even setting fire to their buildings,” Moody said.

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Ron DeSantis Is Courting Donors in Trump’s Old Stomping Grounds: Report

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is vying for New York donors by positioning himself as the electable GOP candidate for president in 2024, according to Politico.

The governor has been reaching out to and meeting with high-dollar donors in the state over the past few months ahead of his likely presidential announcement, which is expected to come following Florida’s legislative session in May, Politico reported. DeSantis paid a visit to Republican donor and billionaire Ronald Lauder’s home in Long Island where he insisted he is the only GOP contender who could beat President Joe Biden.

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Florida House Committee Passes Bill to Increase State Pension Benefits

The Center Square

Critics say a bill that would increase retirement benefits for beneficiaries of the state’s defined-benefit pension system could put the system’s financials in future jeopardy.

House Bill 239, which passed favorably through the House Appropriations Committee meeting on Tuesday, will increase retirement benefits for the 629,073 members of the Florida Retirement System and 151,913 current retirees.

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DeSantis-Aligned Super PAC Taps Another Former Trump Aide

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Never Back Down, the political action committee (PAC) that intends on recruiting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president in 2024, hired a strategic communications director – another former aide to President Donald Trump, according to The New York Times.

Matt Wolking, former deputy communications director for the 2020 Trump campaign, will join the super PAC founded by former Trump official Ken Cuccinelli, according to the NYT. Wolking also served as a spokesman for Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin in his 2021 campaign.

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Gov. Ron DeSantis Signs Legislation He Calls ‘Largest Expansion of School Choice in History of These United States’

Susan Berry, PhD

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday in Miami that establishes an Education Savings Accounts (ESA) program under which every family in the state can receive up to $8,000 to cover education expenses outside of the public school system.

“The state of Florida is number one when it comes to education freedom and education choice,” DeSantis said at a press conference Monday.

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DeSantis Signs Universal School Choice Program into Florida Law

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Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a piece of legislation into law on Monday creating a universal school choice program.

House Bill 1, sponsored by the Education Quality Subcommittee, establishes an Education Savings Accounts (ESA) program under which every family is eligible to receive up to $8,000 to cover education expenses outside of the public school system. The vouchers will be distributed on a “priority” basis, with families of four making less than $51,000 annually receiving the funds first.

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Illegal Immigrants Turn to Hang Gliders Unlawful Entry to the U.S.

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As more foreign nationals are caught attempting to illegally enter Florida and are repatriated to their country or port of origin, a new method to bypass law enforcement efforts by sea is underway by air: hang gliders.

On Saturday, two Cuban nationals landed at the Key West International Airport using a powered hang glider. They were taken into custody by Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies, who then turned them over to U.S. Border Patrol. No injuries were reported, the sheriff’s office said.

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Report: Miami Has Highest Taxpayer Burden of Florida’s Largest Cities

The Center Square

Miami has the highest taxpayer burden out of Florida’s four largest cities, according to an analysis from Truth in Accounting.

In its annual report that assesses the financial health of the 75 most populous U.S. cities, TIA found that two-thirds of them didn’t have enough money to pay their bills. Their combined debt totals $266.5 billion; combined pension debt totals $109.8 billion; and combined OPEB (other post-employment benefits) debt totals $168.7 billion.

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LGBT Activists, Parents Sue Florida over Gender Transition Ban for Kids

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Four families backed by multiple LGBT activist groups filed a federal lawsuit against Florida on Thursday, challenging its new rule banning gender transition procedures for minors.

The ban, which took effect on March 16, prohibits minors from accessing surgical sex change procedures, puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Four parents, along with several LGBT and left-wing activist groups, filed the lawsuit against Florida’s Surgeon General Thursday on behalf of their children who they claim are transgender, arguing the ban is a violation of parents’ rights to “make medical decisions to ensure the health and wellbeing of their adolescent children,” according to the complaint.

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Disney World Florida to Host World’s Largest LGBT+ Conference

Just the News

Walt Disney World in Florida will host an LGBT+ conference this fall that organizers are calling the world’s largest  – as the resort and state GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis continue to spar over sexual-orientation and gender-identity issues.

Out & Equal, an activist group that promotes equality for LGBT+ people in the workplace, is hosting its 2023 Workplace Summit for three days in September, according to the organization’s website. The group says the summit “is the largest LGBTQ+ conference in the world, with more than 5,000 attendees every year.”

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Florida Rep. Kat Cammack Says There Should Never Be Another Bank Bailout

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Florida GOP Rep. Kat Cammack says that there should not be a bank bailout after the recent bank failures because ultimately, the price will fall on the American people. 

“There should absolutely never be a bank bailout ever again,” Cammack said on the “John Solomon Reports” podcast. “We saw the failures of that years ago and now we’re staring down the barrel of another meltdown and contagion because there’s poor management.”

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DeSantis Proposes Ban on Central Bank Digital Currency to Prevent ‘Woke Ideology’

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Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling on his Legislature to pass a bill that would prohibit any federally adopted Central Bank Digital Currency from being used in the state.

“A federally controlled Central Bank Digital Currency is the most recent way the Davos elites are attempting to backdoor woke ideology like Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) into the United States financial system, threatening individual privacy and economic freedom,” DeSantis’ office said Monday, taking aim at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in an announcement about the proposal.

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Florida College Provost Who Clashed with Conservative Trustees Steps Down

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The New College of Florida (NCF) announced on Monday that an official who sparred with newly appointed conservative trustees earlier this year stepped down from her position, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported.

Provost Suzanne Sherman stepped down from her position after serving in the role since 2020, according to the college website. Sherman clashed with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis-appointed trustees Christopher Rufo and Eddie Speir when they refused to cancel a Jan. 25 town hall meeting after receiving a death threat, and Rufo told reporters before the meeting that the board would reconsider college leadership because what he saw “demonstrated here was cowardice, not leadership,” according to the Herald-Tribune.

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University of Miami Opens New Center to Foster Civil Discourse

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The University of Miami in Florida recently launched the George P. Hanley Democracy Center with the aim of depolarizing Americans through civil discourse and exporting democracy abroad.

Leonidas Bachas, dean of the university’s College of Arts and Sciences stated that the university’s “proximity to Latin America also places us in an ideal spot to study democracy in the Americas and beyond.”

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Florida Senate Committee Approves Measure to Expand Telehealth Practice

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by Andrew Powell   The Florida Senate Banking and Insurance Committee met on Wednesday and approved a bill to revise the definition of telehealth by allowing audio-only patient services. Telehealth is a service that connects consumers in rural areas with health professionals from the comfort and convenience of their homes. This service includes lab tests or X-ray results, mental health treatment – which can include online therapy, counseling and medication management. Other recurring conditions like migraines or urinary tract infections can also be managed via telehealth, as well as post-surgical follow-ups, urgent care issues, physical and occupational therapy and remote monitoring services for conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. Senate Bill 298 was presented by State Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, who proposed to permanently include audio-only calls. “Senate Bill 298 removes a provision in the definition of telehealth that excludes audio-only telephone calls. This change allows Medicaid to elect to reimburse for audio-only telephone calls.” Boyd said. Telehealth has become a go-to for those who are not able to see a nurse or doctor. “Audio-only telehealth provides easy access for those in rural communities, its cost effective, convenient, time saving and reduces the risk of exposure in the spread…

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Florida Heartbeat Bill Approved by House Subcommittee and Advances

Susan Berry, PhD

A Florida House subcommittee approved a bill Thursday that would prohibit abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, a move that advances the legislation to the state House Health and Human Services Committee for a hearing.

The House Healthcare Regulation Subcommittee voted 13-5 in support of HB7, a measure that would protect most unborn babies from abortion at generally six weeks after a heartbeat is detected.

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