Florida lawmakers have given final approval to creating new hurdles for getting citizen-driven initiatives on the ballot before voters.

Florida voters has decided to keep a commission that meets every 20 years to make changes to the state constitution despite lawmakers who argued it is no longer needed.

News4JAX has been taking a look at the three proposed constitutional amendments that all Florida voters will see on their ballots for the general election.

After Hurricane Ian ravaged the coast of Florida and other areas, the state is facing billions of dollars in damages.

Ian may have caused as much as $47 billion in insured losses, according to a recent estimate, making it among the most expensive storms in the state’s history.

The second of three proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution that the Florida Legislature voted to place on the ballot this November would repeal the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, a panel that meets every 20 years and has the power to propose ballot measures.

With more than 850,000 policies, the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has become an 800-pound gorilla in Florida’s troubled insurance market.

The next president of the University of Florida could be chosen partially out of the sunshine.

After nearly a century on its lofty perch, the northern mockingbird may be singing its last melodies as the state bird of Florida.

The special session of the Florida Legislature called by Governor Ron DeSantis is less than two weeks away.

Add the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to the supporters of doing away with the mockingbird as the state bird during the 2022 legislative session.

After the Florida Supreme Court upheld the state’s seed-to-sale medical marijuana model, the Department of Health is preparing to issue 15 new treatment center licenses.

The Florida Legislature gaveled in Monday for what is expected to be a quick special session to ratify Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 30-year compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Homeowners are experiencing sticker shock as home insurance rates are rising rapidly in Florida.

In the waning days of session, lawmakers are making a final dash to pass new privacy protections for Floridians.

The Florida Senate on Monday passed legislation requiring social media companies to publish standards for use and abide by them when it comes to de-platforming users.

After a three-and-a-half hour hearing Wednesday, time ran out before a Florida Senate committee in the Capitol could vote on a controversial election reform bill.

Property insurance rates are on the rise with insurers reporting $1.6 billion in losses last year.

The Florida Senate is using some creative procedural maneuvering to resurrect the controversial “anti-riot” bill and the move is drawing criticism from Republicans and Democrats.

After rejecting a series of amendments proposed by Democrats, the Senate could vote as soon as Wednesday on potentially far-reaching changes to Florida’s property insurance system.

Dr. Joe Thornton is a psychiatrist and former death row medical director. He told us the state has executed the mentally ill in the past. Florida has executed at least three known mentally ill men: Thomas Provenzano, John Ferguson and Bobby Joe Long. To qualify to be executed in Florida, a mentally ill inmate must know they did something wrong, that they are being punished for it and they must understand the punishment. Under the legislation, the mentally ill don’t get a free pass.

Proposals are moving through the Legislature that would allow Floridians to postpone jury duty for a year during public-health emergencies and states of emergency. A Senate version (SB 748), sponsored by Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, was approved last week by the Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Subcommittee. The proposal would allow postponement for up to a year if the state surgeon general declares a public health emergency or if the governor declares a state of emergency. AdJury trials have been postponed throughout the state during the past year because of efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “Once jury service resumes, some people who are summoned may not be able to attend on a particular date due to complications created by the pandemic,” the House staff analysis said.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida voters would be asked to abolish a commission that recommends changes to the state constitution every 20 years under a bill passed by the state Senate on Thursday. The chamber voted 27-12 to place a measure on the 2022 ballot seeking to repeal the Constitution Revision Commission. Lawmakers have criticized the last meeting of the commission, which placed seven items on the 2018 ballot. Voters approved all of them. Democratic Sen. Darryl Rouson, who sat on the last commission, acknowledged that it isn't perfect, but voted against the bill.

“I mean, we’re right around the corner, you’re seeing more and more of these companies developing every day. You’re seeing really interesting partnerships developing out of this technology,” said state Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg. Another bill would use a handful of state vehicles to become a pilot for digital license plates. “You have to actually purchase a physical plate before you can purchase a digital license plate,” said state Rep. Nick Duran, D-Miami. Digital license plates currently cost just under $500, but the cost is expected to come down significantly as they gain popularity.

(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Lobbying groups for small businesses, restaurants, hotels and retailers expressed a need to senators Monday for statewide rules for the next health crisis, with a focus on mask mandates. “But more importantly, you’re putting the consumer, the shopper in a tough spot, because they’re simply not aware. Ron DeSantis has limited enforcement by lifting fines against violators -- continue to impact about 15 percent of businesses. “There’s a lot of bright spots in the Florida economy, but if you’re in a couple selected industries, then probably not so much,” Herrle said. Herrle also noted that small business owners are optimistic about the future, with a prime concern the same as when the pandemic began, workforce availability.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The governor’s top legislative priority, a bill increasing penalties for violent protestors, could be in trouble because of a lack of support from law enforcement. “DeSantis’s anti-protest bill attempts threatens us into submission with ridiculous prison sentences,” Jalen Blocker, a student at Florida State University, said. “I just don’t know they have the votes on that committee,” said Brandes. “Oh, I don’t think that’s going to be an issue,” he said. AdThe Democratic Caucus in the Florida House voted Thursday to oppose the House version of the bill, meaning all 42 Democrats will likely vote against it.

If somebody would have said, ‘I am Jewish, I’m not an attorney,’ I would have taken it the same way. If someone said, ‘I’m Mormon, I’m not an attorney,’ the same applies. And I know as a Christian, you want to do unto others as you would have done unto you,” Farmer said. Brandes first made the remark about being a Christian and not an attorney to Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, during debate at a Feb. 10 Judiciary Committee meeting. Polsky, who is an attorney and Jewish, was so blindsided by Brandes’ comment that she interrupted him, saying, “Excuse me?

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A controversial three-year agreement that has Pasco County Schools sharing student data with the Sheriff’s Office could soon end under legislation moving in the State Capitol. For three years, Pasco Schools have been providing the Pasco Sheriff’s Office with student data, then cross-referenced for any law enforcement contact and possible follow-up. AdIf approved, the Parents’ Rights legislation would take effect July 1, just in time for the fall semester. The Pasco School Superintendent did not return our call. We did speak to the Pasco County Sheriffs Office, which said it has not planed to work against the legislation.

They fall roughly under three categories: reforming the current medical marijuana system, legalizing recreational use and eliminating criminal penalties for certain marijuana-related offenses. Republican Sen. Dennis Baxley warned that marijuana may be the “snake oil of our time.”AdOne set of bills would reform the medical marijuana system set in motion by the 2016 referendum. The current system has drawn criticism for not allowing enough medical marijuana to get out to those who need it, and for requiring medical marijuana treatment centers to cultivate, process and dispense medical marijuana in-house. Ad— Raise limits on how much medical marijuana doctors can issue, and how much some disabled patients can use. Another group of bills would allow recreational use of marijuana as sought in the planned 2022 ballot initiative and establish rules for licensing and taxing it.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill (SB 54) that would eliminate no-fault --- and its requirement that motorists carry personal-injury protection, or PIP, coverage --- and mandate bodily injury coverage. Sponsor Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, said the bill would make Florida like 48 other states that have bodily-injury insurance systems. AdUnder the proposal, insurers would be allowed to offer policies with deductibles up to $200 for windshield repairs. Bodily injury coverage, which many motorists already carry, pays for injuries or deaths that drivers cause to other people in accidents. Under the Senate proposal, motorists generally would be required to carry a minimum of $25,000 in bodily injury coverage for the injury or death of one person and $50,000 for injuries or deaths of two or more people.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida consumer groups are protesting legislative efforts to give businesses immunity from lawsuits related to COVID-19. Just a handful of COVID-related lawsuits against businesses have been filed so far, but hundreds are being cued up. “There is an overwhelming concern by consumers,” Susan McGrath, executive director of the Florida Consumer Action Network, said. And If the immunity legislation passes as is, workers could have little recourse. The House and Senate are expected to take up the immunity legislation on the chamber floor during the first week of this spring’s session, which starts on March 2.

But legislation approved by the committee gets health care providers one step closer to being protected from COVID suits, as long as they followed the rules. Health care workers doing their best on the frontline of the COVID fight could soon be immune from lawsuits. “We’ve had 1.8 million Floridians affected,” said Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-Fla.Brandes is sponsoring the bill that would provide liability protections for health care workers. “Nursing homes were powerless to stop COVID carriers at the front door because over 50 percent of COVID spreaders are asymptomatic. Too late and too little,” said Kristen Ulman with the Florida Health Care Association.

The Florida legislative session hasn’t officially begun, but both bills are already moving forward in committees. Baxley wants to mandate a moment of silence at the start of each school day. “Who knows what a moment of silence can do for each of us,” said Baxley. “Requiring a moment of silence sets up other people who do not want to take part in this for bullying,” said Graham. AdTextbooks wouldn’t be at the center of the program, instead, they would teach students by actually getting them involved in the political process.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Floridians may have another minimum wage amendment to vote on in 2022 if a new proposal is approved. Even as the ink dries on an amendment to gradually raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour, a proposed amendment would allow the Florida Legislature to set a training wage below the minimum wage. Under the minimum wage amendment passed last year, the state’s minimum wage will rise to $10 an hour this September and by an additional dollar each year until reaching $15 in 2026. The training wage would apply to prisoners, people with felony convictions and Floridians ages 21 and younger. There is no House sponsor for the training wage amendment, which leaves its future uncertain.

But Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, made no promises the Senate would make changes to ensure front-line health care workers and teachers can tap into workers’ compensation benefits. A state Division of Workers’ Compensation report showed that as of Dec. 31, 13,409 workers’ compensation claims had been filed by health care workers and educators and that nearly 46 percent of the claims were denied. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system meant to protect workers and employers. AdIt is supposed to provide workers who are injured on the job access to medical benefits they need to be made whole. AdAbout 31% of the 93,228 workers’ compensation claims filed in 2020 in Florida were related to COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida lawmakers are trying to drum up support for liability protections for health care workers and long-term care facility staff who have been on the front lines fighting the pandemic. From PPE shortages, crowded COVID-19 wards and lockdowns at long-term care facilities, health care workers have faced numerous challenges over the past year. And as lawmakers have sought pandemic liability protections for Florida businesses, they’re now hoping to provide similar legal protections for those in the health care industry. “We should be celebrating our caregivers, not putting them at risk of being sued,” said Kathy Gallin with the Florida Health Care Association. State Senator Jeff Brandes told News4Jax liability protections for health care workers will go further than those proposed for businesses.

In this April 15, 2015, file photo, protesters march in support of raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Less than three months after voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment to raise Florida’s minimum wage, a Senate Republican on Wednesday filed a proposal that could lead to exceptions for some workers. The amendment, approved in the November election, will increase the minimum wage to $10 an hour on Sept. 30 and lead to annual increases until it is $15 an hour on Sept. 30, 2026. But Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, filed a proposal Wednesday that, if approved, would allow the Legislature to provide a reduced minimum wage for workers under age 21, for workers convicted of felonies, for state prisoners and for “other hard-to-hire employees.”The proposal (SJR 854) is filed for consideration during the legislative session that will start March 2. If passed, it would need voter approval in 2022 because it would change the state Constitution.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The names of everyone applying to be a university or state college president in Florida will no longer be public under legislation making its way through the Legislature. Under the bill, only the names of applicants who become finalists for the top jobs at state universities and colleges would be made public. But public records advocates, such as the Florida First Amendment Foundation, say that information doesn’t tell the public enough. Some state lawmakers want to keep the names of people applying for university or state college presidencies out of the public record, at least at first. But opponents, including Florida State University faculty union president Matthew Lata, don’t agree with the arguments made by the bill’s backers.

State lawmakers have made COVID-liability protections a top priority for the 2021 legislative session. The legislation would require a person to prove that a business acted with “gross negligence” in order for a civil suit linked to the pandemic to move forward. But Jacksonville attorney Eddie Farah worries the gross negligence standard tips the scale too far in the favor of businesses. Democratic state lawmakers proposed an amendment to lower the gross negligence standard in the bill’s first committee hearing, but it failed. The report estimated 356,000 jobs could be at risk with out liability protections and the state could see a $28 billion loss in economic activity.

State Sen. Jeff Brandes, of St. Petersburg, is leading the charge to protect businesses from lawsuits related to COVID-19. The report released Monday by Florida TaxWatch shows Florida is third nationally in COVID-19 lawsuits, with 490 filed. TaxWatch estimates that as many as a quarter of all small businesses wouldn’t survive without protections. TaxWatch estimates 356,000 fewer jobs and a $28 billion reduction in economic activity without protections. The legislation is expected to pass in the first or second week of the legislative session, which begins March 2.

The House and Senate on Wednesday released identical bills for consideration during the 2021 legislative session, which will start March 2. Neither the House bill (HB 7) nor the Senate measure (SB 72) contains lawsuit protections for health-care providers, which makes some health-care lobbyists uneasy. But physicians, nursing homes and other facilities aren’t being ignored, said Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican who is sponsoring the Senate version. (Ron) DeSantis allowing the Legislature to adjourn without a sufficiently strong health-care liability legislation.”But Jacksonville health care attorney Chris Nuland, a seasoned lobbyist, doesn’t like the bifurcated approach. To place them in legal jeopardy for their sacrifice is inexcusable, and the Legislature should address that injustice immediately.”Attempts to contact the Florida Hospital Association and the Florida Health Care Association, the largest statewide nursing home group, were not immediately successful.

State Rep. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, has taken the first step in running for a Northeast Florida Senate seat in 2022, as Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, faces term limits. Yarborough, who has served in the House since 2016, opened a campaign account this week to run in what is now Senate District 4, according to the state Division of Elections website. Yarborough is the first candidate to open a campaign account for the 2022 race. Also, this week Largo Republican Timothy Lewis opened an account to try to succeed term-limited Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, according to the Division of Elections website. Brandes represents Pinellas County’s Senate District 24.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, whose job includes the role of state fire marshal, cautioned Floridians to follow fire-safety guidelines ahead of the first New Year’s holiday with a law bolstering the availability of fireworks. Ron DeSantis signed a measure (SB 140) that allows people 18 and older to buy fireworks to use on New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and Independence Day. Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, called the state’s prior fireworks rules “one of the craziest laws we have on the books.” The old fireworks law prohibited explosives, such as firecrackers, torpedoes and roman candles, while allowing relatively innocuous devices such as sparklers. “You’re basically perjuring yourself every time you purchase fireworks, because you’re signing a paper that most people, I would say everyone, doesn’t use for that purpose,” Rodriguez said in February. The new law eliminated the need for people to declare why they are buying fireworks if they use the fireworks during the three holidays listed in the bill.

New plans are in the works to legalize sports betting in Florida and Georgia. A plan to create a Georgia gaming commission couldn’t get off the ground, and despite a deal with the Seminole tribe of Florida, a sports betting plan wasn’t approved. Now, Florida lawmakers are looking to wager whether it should be legalized. Richard Lackey Jr., CEO of City Commercial Real Estate, said his company has listed over 5,000 acres of destination resort gaming spots in Georgia. The Georgia bill is expected to be heard in the Capitol next month.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – More than two dozen loyal Republicans gathered in the Senate chamber of the Florida Capitol on Monday afternoon and cast the state’s 29 votes in the Electoral College for President Donald Trump. The 29 electors -- many of them current or former elected or party officials -- were submitted to Gov. Ron DeSantis on Aug. 31 and earned a seat in the chamber when Trump won the most votes in Florida in the Nov. 3 election. Had Joe Biden carried the state, a slate of 29 prominent Democrats selected as that party’s electors would be voting Monday instead and, based on the certified popular vote, Biden will win 306 electoral votes to 232 votes for Trump. That fact made Monday a bittersweet day for Dr. Roy Hinman, of St. Augustine, who case one of Florida’s 29 votes for Trump.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Four more states voted to legalize recreational marijuana for adults in November, and late Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. Two legalization amendments could make the 2022 ballot in Florida, and a powerful state senator has filed a bill to keep control of marijuana in the legislature’s hands. Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota all voted to legalize recreational marijuana this past November. That brings the total number of states to legalize marijuana to 15. He would legalize marijuana in January 2022.

Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, and Sen. Jennifer Bradley, R-Fleming Island, separately filed measures that would allow a business holding a state alcohol license to sell or deliver spirited beverages by the package for off-site consumption. The proposals would require the liquid to be in a sealed container and to be part of a food order. We think it is a process that should continue, so we are looking to establish it in state law,” Brandes said on Friday. Brandes isn’t seeking to alter existing law that requires restaurants to reseal partially consumed bottles before patrons leave. In a 74-page report, the RESET task force, co-chaired by executives from Associated Industries of Florida, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, the Florida Retail Federation and the National Federation of Independent Business Florida, called existing rules restricting carryout alcohol “antiquated and no longer necessary.”DeSantis in September backed the idea of allowing carryout alcoholic beverages to become permanent.

But Desmond Meade, president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, the amendment's main backer, puts the number at 100,000. Most Floridians apparently agreed: The measure garnered support from liberal and conservative groups and passed with 64% of the vote. Not all felons vote Democratic, of course, but some observers argued that the party would be the big winner since African Americans are disproportionately represented in Floridas felon population and they favor the party by wide margins. William Freeman recently registered to vote after serving three years for grand theft, his fourth prison stint. There is no way for officials to immediately check if felons owe money when they register, but they could face prosecution if they lie.

At Jefferson Correctional Institution, a smaller prison in rural North Florida, 22 workers had tested positive for the disease as of Tuesday. Over the past four weeks, an additional 561 corrections workers have tested positive for COVID-19. In total, 885 corrections workers -- including probation officers, corrections officers, nurses, food service workers, administrative staff and other personnel -- were known to have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Tuesday. These may be individuals who have failed screenings, been in contact with an individual who is suspected positive or has tested positive for COVID-19 or has tested positive themselves, Glady said. He said corrections workers were already stressed and working overtime before the pandemic started.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. A handful of Florida lawmakers have been pushing for criminal justice reform for years in the Legislature, but their bills rarely go far. These protests have shined a spotlight on the publics frustration with the criminal justice system. Im hoping that my counterparts across the aisle really get the message, State Rep. Dianne Hart said. Hart and the Florida Black Caucus have put together seven pieces of legislation aimed at bringing greater accountability and punishment to bad actors in the justice system. In the meantime, some of the lawmakers we spoke with are urging citizens to call their elected officials and advocate for criminal justice reform.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The state has launched more than 900 investigations into deaths in Florida prisons over a five-year span, with causes ranging from overdoses to homicides, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement official said Wednesday. More than 50 percent of the investigations -- 488 out of 924 -- involved deaths from natural causes or accidents, according to Jennifer Cook Pritt, an assistant commissioner with FDLE. But Pritt noted a steep decline in the number of inmates who died from natural or accidental causes. For example, in the 2014-2015 fiscal year, the agency investigated 163 cases of natural and accidental deaths, compared to 68 cases during the 2018-2019 fiscal year. A report presented to the Senate panel showed a variety of causes of deaths, including inmate-on-inmate assaults and suicides.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - House and Senate criminal justice panels on Wednesday once again received an education about the ongoing problems plaguing Florida's prison system. "I do believe the status quo is unsustainable," Inch told the House panel. Under the agency's proposed retention-pay plan, correctional officers would get a $1,500 pay increase after 2 years of service and a $2,500 increase after 5 years of work. Over the past decade, the agency has seen a $10 million increase in overtime expenses, with the cost totaling in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Ron DeSantis lowering the minimum age to work as correctional officers, another attempt to address the agency's workforce shortage.

Florida Department of StateTALLAHASSEE, Fla. - An effort to abolish the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, which successfully put seven constitutional amendments before voters in 2018, continued to move forward Monday in the Senate. Sen. Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican who is sponsoring the proposal, said the commission in 2018 went beyond what voters wanted when the panel was created in the 1960s. Brandes' measure is filed for the 2020 legislative session, which starts Jan. 14. Mary Adkins, a master legal skills professor at the University of Florida's Levin College of Law who has researched the history of the 1968 Florida Constitution, argued against Brandes' proposal during Monday's committee meeting. The Senate during the 2019 session also approved a measure that would have prevented the commission from bundling multiple topics in ballot proposals.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - One of the first bills passed in the initial committee hearings for the 2020 Legislative Session would as voters to abolish the Constitution Revision Commission. The CRC is a constitutional body that meets every 20 years to propose constitutional amendments. Last year legislation to abolish the CRC passed the Senate, but it was never taken up for a vote on the House Floor. Our constitution should not be an unelected group of people offering new language into the constitution," Grant said. If abolishing the commission makes it out of the Legislature, voters will have the final say in November 2020.

Florida Department of StateTALLAHASSEE, Fla. - With little discussion, a Senate committee Tuesday launched a new attempt to abolish the Florida Constitution Revision Commission. The 37-member Constitution Revision Commission, which meets every 20 years, became highly controversial last year as it put seven issues on the November 2018 ballot. For example, the commission proposed an amendment that called for a ban on offshore oil drilling and a ban on vaping in workplaces. The Senate during the 2019 legislative approved a Brandes proposal to abolish the commission, but the proposal was not approved by the House. If both chambers pass such a proposal during the upcoming session, it would have to go on the November 2020 ballot because abolishing the commission would involve changing the Constitution.

Florida Department of StateTALLAHASSEE, Fla. - State senators next week will again consider an effort to do away with the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, a powerful panel that sparked controversy last year by linking unrelated issues in proposed constitutional amendments. During the 2019 legislative session, Brandes launched a similar effort that was approved by the Senate, but it died in the House. Similarly, the Senate approved a measure that would have prevented the commission from "bundling" multiple topics in ballot proposals. Last year's Constitution Revision Commission was mostly appointed by then-Gov. The commission placed seven amendments on the November 2018 ballot, all of which were approved by voters.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Ballot measures proposed by the state Constitution Revision Commission would be limited to single subjects, under legislation slated to again go before lawmakers in 2020. Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, D-Miami, on Friday filed a proposal (SJR 176) that would place a single-subject requirement on proposed constitutional amendments offered by the Constitution Revision Commission. The commission meets every 20 years to consider changes to the state Constitution. The Senate during the 2019 legislative session approved legislation that would have placed a single-subject requirement on the commission's ballot proposals, but the issue did not pass the House. Meanwhile, Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, also has filed legislation (SJR 142) for the 2020 session that would do away with the commission.