Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday took far-reaching actions to combat the coronavirus as he ordered bars and nightclubs to close for the next month and as state universities moved to hold online classes for the rest of the spring.

Supervisors of elections are stocking voting precincts with extra soap, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes.

The coronavirus briefly disrupted business as usual at the Florida House today.

An ambitious university-consolidation plan that folds Florida’s youngest and smallest colleges into the University of Florida was backed by a key House committee on Tuesday, following testy exchanges between state lawmakers and emotional testimony from students.

State lawmakers this week kicked off the 2020 legislative session with an action-packed schedule that featured speeches from Republican leaders, early tension over high-profile issues and a key Florida Supreme Court ruling.

The proposed move to abandon the “Best and Brightest” bonus program is a first step by the Legislature in considering Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ambitious teacher-compensation plans, which include a new $300 million bonus program.

The state is now “awaiting official notification of the Memorandum of Agreement from ICE,” the Florida Department of Corrections confirmed to The News Service of Florida on Friday.

The proposal is an initial step as lawmakers prepare to negotiate a 2020-2021 budget during the legislative session that starts Jan. 14.

Rep. Chris Latvala, a Clearwater Republican who chairs the House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee, said his panel has been asked by House leaders to find about $500 million in potential cuts as part of a broader budget exercise. But that exercise also could help determine if a teacher-pay package would be viable.