The proposed Florida House Bill 991, officially titled Defamation, False Light and Unauthorized Publication of Name or Likenesses, would make it easier to sue news outlets for defamation by lowering the requirement to prove actual malice.
Read More »Labor union leaders speak out against a bill giving the state control over GRU
Local labor union representatives gathered in front of Gainesville City Hall on Thursday to protest a bill that would allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to appoint an independent governing board for Gainesville Regional Utilities.
Read More »Fahrenheit 352? What Alachua County educators are saying about book removals
Even as national attention focuses on Florida and other states controlling what books students can read, some Alachua County teachers haven’t faced any issues with certain books being removed from public schools. Jay Winter Collins, a part-time teacher at W.A. Metcalfe Elementary School and children’s book illustrator, said if her …
Read More »High Springs Commissioners postpone talks on residents’ request to ban single-use plastic
A group of High Springs residents will have to wait for the High Springs City Commission to resume its discussion of whether to ban the use of plastic straws and carry-out containers in all establishments in the city. The commission said it will revisit the issue at an as-yet unscheduled strategic planning session.
Read More »400 pride flags planted in Micanopy on town’s election day
LGBTQ+ issues were not on the ballot in Micanopy, but they were certainly on the minds of voters as they elected two new town commissioners. The night before the election, 400 small pride flags were placed anonymously in a median downtown. Along with the flags was a sign declaring they …
Read More »Gainesville’s kratom community weighs in on state legislation to raise the minimum age to 21
The Florida Legislature’s second recent endeavor in regulating kratom, an herbal extract that creates effects similar to stimulants and sedatives, won unanimous approval in the House of Representatives on Thursday and is on its way to the Senate. HB 179, named the “Florida Kratom Consumer Protection Act,” will establish the …
Read More »Jewish community backs Florida House bill that would make antisemitic acts a felony
Members of the Gainesville Jewish community say a Florida House bill that proposes to make antisemitic acts felonies is long overdue.
Read More »House bill proposes to drop gun-buying age to 18
Republican Florida House of Representatives Bobby Payne, Palatka, and Tyler Sirois, Merritt Island, are cosponsoring HB 1543, which proposes to reduce the minimum age at which a person may purchase, sell or transfer a firearm from 21 to 18. The measure is headed to the Criminal Justice Subcommittee for discussion March 13.
Read More »Williston City Council considers four-day workweek for public works field staff
The Williston City Council is discussing the possibility of a four-day workweek for employees of the city's public works employees and utilities field staff.
Read More »Life on the line: Watch Florida linemen compete in these lofty events
A group of Gainesville Regional Utilities linemen competed at the Florida Municipal Electric Association and Orlando Utilities Commison's 2023 Florida Lineman Competition earlier this month.
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