Senators Rick Scott and Tom Cotton asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to urge the DOJ to investigate Chinese-owned surrogacy centers, citing reports of dozens of agencies and national-security concerns.

UF pulled a Spring 2026 WARP syllabus after course materials offered "access riders" to queer, trans and BIPOC students — administrators said the language was removed to comply with a state anti‑DEI rule.

Apopka’s March 10 ballot pits Mayor Bryan Nelson against Christine Moore and Nick Nesta, and voters will also weigh an eight‑question charter referendum. The outcome could reshape City Hall.

A CROWN Act bill that would bar school discipline for natural hairstyles failed to advance in a Florida committee, advocates said. Sponsors and students vowed to keep pushing.

A judicial watchdog panel recommended a 30-day suspension and $10,000 fine for Broward County Judge Lauren Peffer after she shared an apparent AI-generated recording and cited an unread tell‑all during her 2024 campaign.

Sen. Jason Brodeur says he backs a late amendment critics say would let landowners bypass Seminole’s voter‑approved rural boundary and seek compensation.

A Florida House panel advanced HB 277, a bipartisan bill that would expand electronic monitoring and increase penalties for repeat domestic‑violence offenders. The measure now heads to the House calendar.

Palm Bay’s council met Friday to consider a $55,000 settlement that would resolve a federal lawsuit by censured Councilman Chandler Langevin. The vote follows months of controversy over his social‑media posts.

Commissioners will vote Thursday on a three‑year, $55,000‑per‑year contract to add Aurelian AI’s "Ava" to Winter Garden’s 911 non‑emergency lines. Vendors and early pilots say it frees dispatchers; advocates want clear oversight and data rules.

Lawmakers removed a contested "food libel" clause from HB 433 after activists warned it would chill speech and expose critics to big legal bills.

Senators advanced "Meg’s Law," a bill to limit where flavored nitrous‑oxide canisters can be sold and to impose felony penalties on retailers who sell them. The measure now heads to final floor votes in both chambers.

SB 1756 cleared a Senate committee in Tallahassee, creating a conscience exemption for school vaccines and authorizing behind‑the‑counter ivermectin while narrowing emergency vaccine powers.

A Florida recalculation of student counts will trim about $17M from OCPS’s 2025–26 state aid, compounding budget and staffing pressures after big enrollment losses.