Florida News That Impacts You – April 11th, 2024
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- Governor DeSantis signed five bills aimed at combating child sex predators into law. The bills signed into law include: The Child Exploitation Offenses bill, which protects children from grooming activities and other sexual offenses. The Online Sting Operations Grant Program, which establishes a grant program within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to create online sting operations to target sexual predators. The Sexual Predators and Sexual Offenders bill, which creates stricter guidelines for sex offender registration. The Protection of Children and Victims of Crime bill, which strengthens the role of the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office and implements new training requirements to ensure law enforcement properly assesses a domestic violence situation. The Offenses Involving Children bill, which expands the evidence that can be presented to a jury in sex-abuse cases where the victim is a minor and increases penalties on those who take part in sex trafficking of minors.
- There’s another indication of a recovery in the property insurance market in Florida. Florida Peninsula Insurance Company announced they’ll be reducing insurance premiums by 2% for new policies underwritten effective July 15th and for policy renewals effective August 1st. The company credited legislative reforms reigning in litigation abuse for making the rate decreases possible.
- The Florida Department of Health has issued a health advisory to avoid all waterways in the vicinity of Palm Springs due to a sewer main break near 10th Ave. N and Florida Mango Road. The sewer main break, which appears to be responsible for a sink hole, has potentially contaminated all nearby canals, Lake Clarke and Lake Clarke Shores, Grassy Saw Lake and Lake Osborne. Drinking water is unimpacted.
- Windy and warm today with highs in the upper 80’s, about nine degrees warmer than usual for this date, in advance of a cool front that will bring pleasant weather for the next several days.
- Gas prices rose another four cents per gallon on Wednesday. The average price statewide for regular unleaded is currently $3.57 per gallon. In Palm Beach County the average price is $3.75 per gallon, in Martin the average is $3.63 and in Indian River County the average is $3.59 per gallon.