Recreational pot advocates lose court battle a week ahead of petition deadline

Smart & Safe Florida must submit at least 880,062 valid signatures statewide and meet congressional district signature thresholds by Feb. 1 to put the issue on the ballot.

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

An appeals court has rejected a challenge to directives by Secretary of State Cord Byrd to invalidate more than 70,000 petition signatures.

News & Views

10 Florida legal issues to watch in 2026

Your energy bill could be going up.

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida December 29, 2025December 29, 2025

An aerial view of a large industrial complex featuring smokestacks emitting white steam, various storage tanks, and a tall chimney, situated along a coastline. Behind the facility lies a wide, calm body of water with a barge floating in the distance. On the far horizon, a city skyline is faintly silhouetted against a hazy, golden sky.

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Activists fight Mosaic’s ‘moot’ argument over radioactive byproduct in Polk County roads

In its challenge, the Center for Biological Diversity cited concerns about radon emissions and potential air and groundwater pollution.

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida December 17, 2025December 17, 2025

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Mosaic: Lawsuit is moot because the company has already put radioactive byproduct into other Polk County roads

Mosaic attorneys added, ‘This action (lawsuit) is now moot because construction of the phosphogypsum portions of the pilot road project is complete. The court should accordingly dismiss the (Center for Biological Diversity) petition for review.’

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida December 6, 2025December 6, 2025

A spotlight shines on two people seated at a small table covered in a red cloth against a dark, dramatic background. One subject, wearing a blue wig and a patterned top, holds a microphone, while the other subject, in a gray shirt, draws a ball from the cage in the center.

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Federal court will hear appeal over 2023 Florida drag show law

Two rulings blocked the law on First Amendment grounds.

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida December 2, 2025December 2, 2025

An outdoor political demonstration or rally, showing the lower half of a speaker standing behind a black podium. The foreground is filled with various handwritten protest signs held up by participants, advocating for educational freedom, equity, and inclusion.

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Union representing Florida college professors challenges syllabi requirements

The Department of Education proposed a rule that included the changes to the State Board of Education, which approved it Nov. 13.

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida December 2, 2025December 2, 2025

A temporary red and white election sign that reads "VOTE TODAY" is staked into the ground between two palm trees outside a polling place. A person wearing a mask is partially visible behind the sign.

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Judicial panel gives go-ahead to part of lawsuit over allegedly gerrymandered Florida districts

Friday’s ruling came three months after a separate three-judge panel upheld a 2022 Senate redistricting plan, rejecting arguments that a Tampa Bay-area district was racially gerrymandered.

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida November 24, 2025November 24, 2025

Entrance sign for Cambridge Christian School, featuring a blue plaque set between two brick pillars and surrounded by landscaping and large oak trees.

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US Supreme Court declines to take up Tampa Christian school’s appeal over pregame prayer

The decision effectively was a victory for the Florida High School Athletic Association.

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida November 17, 2025November 21, 2025

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Florida wildlife officials say they did not violate First Amendment rights in firing over Charlie Kirk post

Biologist Brittney Brown worked for the FWC studying shorebirds and seabirds in the area of Tyndall Air Force Base in the Panhandle.

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida November 3, 2025November 3, 2025

A large Florida black bear with a reddish-brown coat stands in the foreground, grazing in a grassy field, with a smaller, darker black bear cub visible further back near the dense woods.

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Florida environmental group seeks injunction to stop 2025 bear hunt

As many as 172 black bears could be killed during the hunt, which is scheduled from Dec. 6 to Dec. 28.

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida October 27, 2025October 27, 2025

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Gainesville teacher fights state over ‘dictator’ certificate allegation

Watts’ attorneys disputed the state’s allegations, which also included that the teacher’s ‘conduct embarrassed and disparaged’ the student.

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida October 6, 2025October 6, 2025

A man with dark hair and a suit A man in a dark suit jacket and tie is seated in a dark, studio-like setting, wearing a pair of black over-ear headphones. He is looking off to the side with a serious expression. A microphone on an arm stand is positioned in front of him, and another person in a beanie is blurred in the background.

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FWC biologist sues after she was fired a over Charlie Kirk post

The lawsuit said Brown was fired after reposting on her Instagram account a post from an account called ‘@whalefact.’

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida October 6, 2025October 6, 2025

News & Views

Tampa General Hospital joins organ transplant rule challenge

The challenges come after years of debate and disputes about approving transplant programs.

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida September 22, 2025September 22, 2025

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St. Pete Beach bar wins First Amendment music fight

It’s another victory for local businesses and artists fighting city restrictions on live music.

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida September 17, 2025September 19, 2025

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EPA, Mosaic ask court to reject lawsuit challenging use of radioactive byproduct in Polk County

The issue of using phosphogypsum in road-building has long been controversial.

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida September 16, 2025September 16, 2025

Street view of Ocean Drive in Miami Beach showing a colorful rainbow-pattern crosswalk with geometric designs. Palm trees line the street alongside art deco-style hotels and restaurants with outdoor seating, including Hotel Victor. Several pedestrians cross the street while others stand near the corner under a green “Ocean Dr” street sign. Cars are parked along the road in the background.

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Miami Beach has challenged FDOT’s street art ban

The Miami Beach petition at the Division of Administrative Hearings said the state targeted what are described as “terrazzo pavers” at Ocean Drive and 12th Street in the city.

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida September 8, 2025September 8, 2025

Protesters hold up colorful signs, one reading 'BUG OFF ICE!' in yellow and black, and another reading 'DEFEND BIG CYPRESS' in red, black, and green, during an outdoor demonstration.

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Florida plans to resume bringing immigrants to Everglades facility

TALLAHASSEE — Florida plans to resume taking in immigrants at a controversial detention center in the Everglades if an appeals court pauses a judge’s order that required winding down operations at the facility, a new court filing says.

by Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida September 4, 2025September 5, 2025