The motion, filed on behalf of Jason Baez, challenges a $547,850 lien by the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC). The lien was instituted in July 2024 after Baez settled a lawsuit against FDC officers who beat him so severely that he lost an eye. If allowed to stand, FDC would take back the money it paid to settle the lawsuit, leaving Baez with debt and a lifelong disability when he is released from prison.

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced a judicial appointment to the Palm Beach County Court.

FloridaCommerce announced the availability of over $25 million in community development funding through the Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The funds are designated for economic development, commercial and neighborhood revitalization, and other infrastructure improvements. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

OSHA has introduced a proposed rule titled “Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings.” This rule seeks to establish consistent, nationwide standards to protect workers from the dangers of excessive heat. It addresses a wide range of industries, including construction, agriculture, hospitality, manufacturing, and local government. For businesses in Florida, understanding this rule is crucial because it outlines specific requirements that may directly impact daily operations.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody announced today that Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd will be the keynote speaker for the 2024 Human Trafficking Summit. Sheriff Judd has served as Polk County’s sheriff for nearly 20 years, leading several successful sting operations to dismantle human trafficking rings and rescue victims. In one year alone, Sheriff Judd’s operations resulted in the rescue of 58 human trafficking victims.

Patricia Levesque, Executive Director of the Foundation for Florida’s Future, issued a statement in response to the Florida State Board of Education’s recent decision on the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Program performance metric.

Advent eModal (AeM), the world’s largest port community system serving the intermodal supply chain, recently announced the successful implementation of its eModal® Community Portal (eCP) at Florida International Terminal (FIT) at Port Everglades. This deployment introduces the advanced PreGate and Fee Manager applications into the comprehensive eCP system, enhancing port operations and intermodal logistics.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Courtney Drummond, Alexis Lambert, and Ivey Yarger to the State Emergency Response Commission.

FloridaCommerce Announces Orlando Gains Second-Highest Number of Private Sector Jobs Over the Year in July 2024 Among All Metro Areas

The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) has endorsed Representative Tom Leek, a Republican from Ormond Beach, for the Florida Senate District 7 seat. Carol Dover, President & CEO of FRLA, stated, "On behalf of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and Florida’s premier hospitality and tourism industry, I am proud to endorse Representative Tom Leek for Florida’s open seat in Senate District 7." She highlighted Leek's leadership in promoting business-friendly policies and his role in advancing the state's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) announced several positive developments in the state's property insurance market, including the approval of Trident Reciprocal Exchange as the ninth new insurer since the 2023 reforms. National carriers are also increasing their presence in Florida, even as they scale back operations in other regions.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will conduct aquatic plant management on Lake Okeechobee starting August 12. The project is expected to last two days, weather permitting.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning Floridians to be cautious of price gouging, disaster scams, and fraud in the aftermath of Hurricane Debby. The hurricane affected millions of Floridians, bringing catastrophic storm surge along Florida’s west coast while making landfall in the Big Bend region early Monday morning. Many residents may now be seeking food, shelter, debris removal, or home repairs. Attorney General Moody’s Price Gouging Hotline remains activated for consumers to report allegations of extreme price increases and scams related to recovery...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Governor DeSantis provided updates on Hurricane Debby in his fourth press conference at the State Emergency Operations Center. He was joined by Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Executive Director Kevin Guthrie as Hurricane Debby moved out of the state.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) continues to monitor and prepare for potential impacts from Tropical Depression Four. Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 24-157 on August 2, amending EO 24-156 and declaring a state of emergency for 61 counties. This allows state officials to make critical resources available to communities ahead of any potential areas that the storm may impact.

CDK issues update on security incident

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody has obtained media contracts previously withheld from Florida State University (FSU) by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). These documents are central to FSU’s ongoing dispute with the ACC regarding the university's rights should it decide to leave the conference. As a result of Attorney General Moody’s legal action, the ACC has released six redacted media rights contracts and related documents.

The Florida Housing Finance Corporation announced today that the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing program has provided over $50 million in down payment and closing cost assistance to help Florida’s workforce purchase homes. Since the launch of the third cycle of funding on July 1, 2024, the program has allocated a total of $61.3 million to 3,745 families across the state. Veterans, active-duty military personnel, nurses, teachers, and law enforcement officers are among the primary beneficiaries.

As immigration policy discussions remain prominent in public discourse, a new national study from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) has found that undocumented immigrants in Florida paid over $1.8 billion in state and local taxes in 2022. This figure could rise to approximately $2 billion if these taxpayers were granted work authorization.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Today, Governor Ron DeSantis awarded funds for workforce development through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund (JGGF) and the Workforce Development Capitalization Grant Program. Awards were made to St. Petersburg College to help establish the Semiconductor, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning Training for Technicians (SMART Tech) 4.0 lab.