Gov. Ron DeSantis, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner discussed the 2024 legislative session Friday. PHOTO/MIKE EXLINE, NSF
House Speaker Paul Renner (left) and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo watch a traditional hanky-drop ceremony to end the 2024 legislative session. NEW SERVICE OF FLORIDA PHOTO/TOM URBAN
The 2024 session came to a close on time, with lawmakers approving a $117.46 billion spending plan to finalize a session that the Senate president touted as targeting “kitchen-table issues” and the House speaker said “addressed the real needs of Floridians.”
The bill, in part, would prevent children under age 16 from opening social-media accounts — though it would allow parents to give consent for 14- and 15-year-olds to have accounts.
A key change in the revised version would allow parents to give consent for 14- and 15-year-olds to have accounts.
The bill would provide tuition and fee waivers for students who have dropped out of high school and pursue diplomas and workforce credentials at state colleges. FILE PHOTO
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved rule changes related to the 2024-25 gator harvest season. PHOTO/FWC
Opponents described the bill as “government overreach” and said parents should make decisions about whether children use social media.
The package would be about half the amount of the $1.3 billion in tax breaks provided during the current fiscal year
Commerce Department on Friday released a report that said Florida had a 3 percent jobless rate in December, with an estimated 334,000 Floridians out of work from a labor force of 11.194 million. FILE PHOTO
