South Florida adopting paid parental leave. ‘We have to evolve as a workforce’

Paid Parental Leave — Courtesy: Shutterstock — New Africa HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — Paid parental leave supporters have a new source of hope to point to as more and more cities and counties across South Florida are embracing the leave policy for their employees. The latest employer to join the movement is Hallandale Beach, which

Florida’s largest school districts ease up on masks

Running at School – Face Mask: Shutterstock — Monkey Business Images ORLANDO, Fla. — Two of Florida’s largest school districts are easing up on mask requirements this week. Beginning Monday, Orange County students will not be required to wear a face mask if their parents provide a note opting them out. High school students in

After the Surfside building collapse, engineers say inspections are required for all buildings

Area of Surfside Building Collapse, Surfside, FL – Courtesy: Shutterstock — Kristi Blokhin According to recommendations by the state’s engineering associations made in the wake of the tragic Surfside building collapse, Florida should require nearly all large buildings to be inspected for any damages or structural problems within their first 30 years, with follow-ups every

Florida’s Fast & Furious: Florida bill seeks harsher penalties for street racing

Street Racing – Courtesy: Shutterstock — Bordovski Yauheni A new Florida bill seeks harsher penalties against illegal street racing, anyone filming or recording races, and spectators.  Senate Bill 258 is sponsored by Sen. Lauren Book and co-sponsored by Sen. Linda Stewart of Orlando, who said she has been fighting drag racing for several years. “It’s

Florida Senate will be led by the third woman in state’s history, Kathleen Passidomo

Florida Senate – Courtesy: Shutterstock — Cheri Alguire Naples Republican Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples) has been formally named Senate President-designate. Once she takes charge of the Senate next year, she will officially be the third woman in the state’s history to lead the chamber.  After being selected by Republican senators to become president after the 2022

Miami-Dade schools’ mask mandate could be relaxed by end of the month

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho – Mask Mandate – Courtesy: Getty Images Miami-Dade County Public Schools could ease the mask mandate by the end of the month according to Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. On Wednesday, Carvalho stated that local rates of COVID-19 hospitalizations and infections have declined significantly since the start of the 2021-2022 academic school year, as

Florida digital drivers license set to launch by mid-November

DMV – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by RYO Alexandre Florida has its sights set on launching digital driver’s licenses next month, an initiative the state has been working on for several months. According to Florida’s politics, the ID’s are set to be released in mid-November by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Will Florida have a new state bird? Three bills were filed in Tallahassee to replace Mockingbird

Mockingbird – Courtesy: Image by Bonnie Taylor Barry TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Mockingbird has been Florida’s state bird since 1927, and now 94 years later, the Sunshine State has filed three bills to change it. In September, Tampa State Senator Jeff Brandes filed Senate Concurrent Resolution “rescinding the designation of the mockingbird as the state

Florida is short more than 5,000 teachers — A combination of the pandemic and low pay are to blame

School Teachers – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Drazen Zigic The Florida teacher shortage has worsened since the beginning of the new school year, with teacher vacancies surging to more than 5,000 according to data collected from the Florida Education Association. According to FEA President Adam Spar, there are also 4,000 openings for other school

Florida misses deadline to receive $2.3 billion in federal aid

U.S. Department of Education – Federal Aid – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Evgenia Parajanian Several Florida school districts are not happy and speaking up. According to a letter sent to the state Monday, Florida is the last state to submit its plans to the U.S. Department of Education that is required before more than