Florida News That Impacts You – March 1st, 2024
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- In Thursday’s state legislation session movers included... The My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program. The bill, which would commence a version of the popular state grant program for home hardening, specifically for condo associations and unit owners, passed the House unanimously. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services bill, which would ban lab created meat products passed the state senate in a divided vote. A day after the senate unanimously passed a bill defining antisemitism, the House did as well. The bill, once signed into law by Governor DeSantis will define antisemitism as: A certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals, their property, community institutions and religious facilities.
- Attorney General Ashley Moody announced a new criminal division at the state level. Florida’s Cold Case Unit will be formed to assist local law enforcement agencies in solving cold cases. Historically only 1% of cold cases are solved, however advances in DNA technology have significantly improved outcomes in recent years.
- Governor DeSantis signed the Disclosure of Grand Jury Testimony bill into law. The new law mandates the disclosure of grand jury records from Jeffrey Epstein’s 2006 case in Palm Beach County which led to a criminal conviction. The effective date of the law is July 1st, the start of the state’s new fiscal year – so disclosure can be expected around that time.
- A warm day again today with a high around 80 – or about four degrees warmer than usual for this date. Similar weather is expected over the weekend and into next week.
- Gas prices rose another penny Thursday. The average price statewide for regular unleaded is $3.37 per gallon. In Palm Beach County the average price is $3.54 per gallon, in Martin the average is $3.42 and in Indian River County the average is $3.39 per gallon.