Florida lawmakers push to lower graduation test score requirements
Sen. Corey Simon argues that while standardized tests serve a purpose, they should not be the sole factor determining a student's ability to graduate.
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Sen. Corey Simon argues that while standardized tests serve a purpose, they should not be the sole factor determining a student's ability to graduate.
A new bill proposed in the Florida Legislature aims to lower the required passing scores for the algebra and English portions of the standardized tests needed for high school graduation, a move that has sparked debate among educators, lawmakers and students.
Florida House members Friday began digging into questions about property-insurance companies sending money to affiliated firms and shareholders while arguing the industry was losing money.
Both proposals are named after Lucy Fernandez, a 17-year-old killed in 2022 when a 29-foot boat she and 13 others were on hit a channel marker near Boca Chita Key.
The proposal would give the commissioner of government efficiency authority to "audit, investigate and report on fraud, waste and abuse."
The bill would prevent in public water systems "the use of any additive included primarily for health-related purposes."
Three Republican-controlled House and Senate panels gave initial approval to bills aimed at moving to rename the Gulf of Mexico.
Legislative leaders have argued that many condo buildings are in need of critical upgrades but that associations had inadequate reserves to cover repairs.
This week Florida legislators convened their annual 60-day session and one of the very first bills they took up was Senate Bill 168 – the Tristin Murphy Act. It is a major development in the aftermath of our CBS News Miami documentary "Warehoused: The Life and Death of Tristin Murphy."
He died this week from cancer at 70 years old.
If the bill passes, thousands of condo owners could be left scrambling for insurance in an already tight market.
A proposed Florida bill could strip state-backed Citizens Property Insurance from condo associations that fail to complete mandatory structural integrity reserve studies.
Gov. Ron DeSantis in recent weeks has called for cutting property taxes, while also criticizing spending by local governments.
A House committee will now investigate by issuing subpoenas, questioning witnesses under oath and hiring outside experts.
Florida lawmakers return to Tallahassee Tuesday for the annual 60-day legislative session.
As the new legislative session begins Tuesday, CBS News Miami is keeping an eye on a few proposals including those involving property insurance, waste management, environmental protections and more.
The legislation, Senate Bill 168, also known as the Tristin Murphy Act, was named after the 37-year-old father of two who killed himself in prison with a chainsaw.
Supporters said the bill would help protect seniors, including people with conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, but raised privacy concerns.
"Facing South Florida" devotes the entire half hour to the immigration bill DeSantis signed and the tumultuous events leading up to it.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law two far-reaching immigration enforcement bills on Thursday, paving the way for stricter penalties, new enforcement measures and the creation of a state immigration board designed to coordinate with federal officials.
The bill includes proposals for an immigration enforcement board and stiffer penalties for undocumented immigrants who commit crimes.
Laws passed after the Surfside collapse require "milestone inspections" of older buildings and "structural integrity reserve" studies.
With the final vote expected Thursday, Florida is on track to enact some of the nation's toughest immigration laws.
The man whose failed presidential campaign was based on the slogan: Never Back Down, did indeed back down.
As this year's third Florida special legislative session on immigration gets underway this week in Tallahassee, there is one unmistakable conclusion: Gov. Ron DeSantis lost.
Coley Sohn and Linda Bagley-Sohn, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, say the city censored their protest against the city painting over its rainbow crosswalks.
Maralee Lellio always dreamed of having a large family. A Stage IV cancer diagnosis almost caused her to lose hope.
The plane was evacuated because of smoke in the aircraft after the collision, according to the flight crew.
Jan Davenport said the incident happened around 9:30 p.m. May 5, while she was at home in her pajamas, unaware a robbery was unfolding in her front yard.
Before DeSantis signed the bill at the Bay of Pigs Museum & Library in Miami, he took time to comment on Cuba, saying Florida needs a "good neighbor" 90 miles from its shores.
Coley Sohn and Linda Bagley-Sohn, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, say the city censored their protest against the city painting over its rainbow crosswalks.
The plane was evacuated because of smoke in the aircraft after the collision, according to the flight crew.
Jan Davenport said the incident happened around 9:30 p.m. May 5, while she was at home in her pajamas, unaware a robbery was unfolding in her front yard.
Before DeSantis signed the bill at the Bay of Pigs Museum & Library in Miami, he took time to comment on Cuba, saying Florida needs a "good neighbor" 90 miles from its shores.
The system, which is used nationwide at the university, high school, and elementary school levels for online exams and teacher communication, has been restored, but cybersecurity teams are continuing to investigate the situation.
In courtroom testimony, Shandelle Maycock recounted the harrowing night her daughter was abandoned in the Everglades, describing the horrors they endured.
A former prison guard trainee has been sentenced to death for the 2019 execution-style killings of five women inside a Florida bank.
Florida coach Billy Napier is getting a fourth season to try to get the Gators back to their winning ways.
A Florida man has filed a federal lawsuit against Jacksonville sheriff's officers who severely beat him last year after he ran from a traffic stop.
The Marion County Sheriff's deputy told authorities that he accidentally shot and killed his girlfriend while cleaning his gun.
Alabama lawmakers have approved a plan for new House primaries if courts allow the state to use different congressional districts in this year's elections.
The Trump administration announced a major expansion of its denaturalization campaign targeting foreign-born American citizens accused of fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship.
More than 12,000 people gave up their asylum claims or voluntarily departed the U.S. as ICE moved to cut cases short by sending asylum-seekers to third countries, a CBS News analysis found.
Attorneys for accused White House Correspondents' Dinner shooter Cole Allen asked a judge to disqualify Jeanine Pirro and other senior Justice Department leaders from the case because they were present during the incident.
The Justice Department argues the patchwork of state laws around guns makes it difficult to take them across state lines for lawful purposes like target shooting, hunting and self-defense.
In an interview on Facing South Florida, Wasserman Schultz said the Governor's efforts to redraw the maps will almost certainly violate the Fair Districts constitutional amendment voters in Florida passed in 2010.
Several commissioners have raised questions about how the center would be funded in future years.
The center – which was promised to voters back in 2004 – would take mentally ill individuals out of the jail and move them into a place where they can receive comprehensive treatment and support.
Luna said she expects Florida Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick to be the next member who either resigns or gets expelled.
Uthmeier was asked several times during a press conference in Miami this week if he had formally requested the judge overseeing the grand jury to keep the findings secret.
In 2002, Zermeño found out he contracted hantavirus after cleaning the family house following the death of his mother and sister. He had been exposed to rodent droppings and became infected.
Three passengers have been evacuated from a cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak, as related cases are confirmed in Switzerland and South Africa.
The FDA announced its first authorization of fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes intended for adult smokers, a major policy shift after months of appeals to President Trump from the vaping industry.
Seventy-three percent of Americans say delays and denials of medical treatment by healthcare insurers are a major problem. Now, a company called Sheer Health says they will fight insurance battles on behalf of their clients.
An unlicensed cosmetologist from Florida has been found guilty in a California court for providing an injection that killed a model who was known as a Kim Kardashian lookalike, prosecutors said.
AARP is sounding the alarm because it is so easy to fall for these schemes, but there are simple things everyone can do to protect themselves.
A lawsuit filed late last month took Chicago-based McDonald's to task over the McRib sandwich, calling its name a form of false advertising.
Florida insurance policyholders could be seeing some form of relief in their wallets thanks to market reforms made statewide, Gov. Ron DeSantis said.
The company said Tuesday that 85% of its retail products and "nearly all" of its school offerings are already made without "certified colors."
Less than two days after Delta Air Lines offered $30,000 to each passenger on board the flight that crashed and flipped in Toronto on Monday afternoon, the company is facing its first two lawsuits in the incident — and they likely won't be the last.
A trial in the lawsuit between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni was set to begin later in May.
The performance followed similar shows by Madonna in 2024 and Lady Gaga last year on one of the world's most iconic waterfronts.
Attending this year's Kentucky Derby meant more for thoroughbred expert Mark Toothaker, who suffered a seizure from laughing at a whiffed NFL field goal attempt that led to a lifesaving diagnosis.
David Allan Coe also had hits with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and "The Ride" among others.
Jake was at the funeral for one of his closest friends when he learned of his parents' deaths, he said.