Government and politics

Gainesville City Commission passes a motion for the management of Dignity Village. The motion begins the process of addressing safety issues and concerns regarding the logistics of the community.

Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill that would implement an online voter registration system for Florida. The system is planned to be in place by 2017.

Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera publicly confirmed Saturday that he is considering running for U.S. Senate in 2016. He announced his possible candidacy at the executive board meeting during the Republican Party of Florida's quarterly meeting at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando.

Governor Rick Scott signed almost three dozen bills into law this week. The new laws address issues ranging from revenge porn to the use of drones.

The Alachua County Sheriff's Office performed a case study on marijuana charges from 2013 to 2014. Its findings sparked discussion about the appropriate response to stand-alone misdemeanor marijuana charges during Alachua County Commissioners meeting Tuesday.

A new amendment, known as the Solar Initiative, seeks to overcome utility regulations by allowing businesses to generate and sell their own solar power to neighboring businesses. A report was recently released outlining the advantages of allowing a free market in Florida's energy.

A massive tax-cut package and the governor's push for a "historic" increase in education funding could be in jeopardy as the health care-fueled budget impasse continues in the Legislature. The Senate remains firm that a tax-cut package isn't going to move while the impasse is in place.

Zac Zedalis, a detective for the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, is running for Alachua County Sheriff in 2016. He will focus on the issues of low morale, budget concerns and cultural issues.

The annual session of the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature came to a halt Tuesday as the House adjourned three days early because of a budget impasse with the Senate over Medicaid expansion. Bills covering everything from tax cuts to gambling and medical marijuana died as a result.

Traffic ticket quotas for law enforcement agencies are now illegal under a bill unanimously passed by the House in the Florida Legislature. Sent to the desk of Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday, the "Waldo Bill" got its nickname from the city of Waldo, which was once considered one of the nation's worst speed traps.