The News Service of Florida

Email Print Copy article link SaveFlorida Commission on Ethics members on Tuesday rejected an effort to try to reach a settlement with plaintiffs challenging a law that required municipal elected officials to disclose detailed information about their personal finances. U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian in June issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the 2023 law, siding with municipal officials throughout the state who challenged it.

Florida retailers are hoping for record-breaking sales this holiday season, expecting more than a three percent increase in spending over 2023. According to the Florida Retail Federation, consumers in the state are predicted to spend $902 per person on gifts, decorations and other items this year. More than half of all consumers are expected to shop online this year. Shoppers are on the hunt for bargains this year, Florida Retail Federation spokeswoman Amanda Bevis said. “Consumers have a lot of generosity heading into the holiday season, wanting to purchase gifts for their family. We are back up to pre-pandemic levels of spending. So, there is a lot of excitement about the holidays, and we are ready to get started,” Bevis said. The most popular presents this year include gift cards, clothing, toys and books. Top toy items of the season are “the classics,” Bevis said. “Girls still love Barbies and dolls. They also have Legos on their lists. Boys have Legos at the top of their lists, but they also have a lot of video games, cars and Hot Wheels,” she added. The holiday shopping season is the biggest time of the year for stores, with retailers making more than 20 percent of their annual sales during the month before Christmas. “So, we head into the holiday season ready to support consumers, all stocked up and staffed up, so that everybody can find what they need and check out efficiently. We are just hopeful that consumers get out and support Florida retail stores,” Bevis said.

Florida Commission on Ethics members on Tuesday rejected an effort to try to reach a settlement with plaintiffs challenging a law that required municipal elected officials to disclose detailed information about their personal finances.

Email Print Copy article link Save TALLAHASSEE — With the backing of President-elect Donald Trump, state Sen. Randy Fine said Tuesday he will run for a congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz.

The Florida Highway Patrol will have an increased presence on interstates and major highways over the next week, focusing on speeders, seat belt violations and drivers who are impaired by drugs or alcohol. Last year, more than 11,000 accidents and 582 fatalities took place during the Thanksgiving travel period. “We are definitely out there to do traffic enforcement. We are looking for hazardous moving violations, impaired drivers, distracted driving, anything that is going to lead to a crash. We are going to be out there enforcing those laws,” FHP Lieutenant Jim Beauford said. With highway traffic expected to be at record levels this week, Beauford recommended that travelers leave in plenty of time, be patient and stay sober behind the wheel. “Honestly, if you are just courteous, you are probably going to be following most of the traffic rules automatically anyway. Just remember, nowhere in the state of Florida is the speed limit faster than 70. So, that’s the most it could possibly be on the interstate,” Beauford said. Drivers also should remember to perform routine maintenance on their vehicles before driving long distances, to prevent being stranded on the side of busy roadways over the next week, Beauford advised. “Be a little bit patient on the roadways. Make sure that you are using your turn signals. Just be courteous when you are out there. Understand that everyone is going to have different levels of experience. So, let’s just make sure that we all get there safely by working together,” he said.

In a long-running case, the Florida Supreme Court agreed to a public reprimand and 60-day suspension for a Seminole County judge because of events that took place in 2022. An investigative panel of the Florida Qualifications Commission in 2022 recommended similar discipline for Seminole County Judge Wayne Culver. But the Supreme Court rejected a proposed settlement and ordered the Judicial Qualifications Commission to hold a full hearing on the allegations. The commission found that Culver violated several canons of judicial conduct by “engaging in abusive and intemperate behavior during two separate court proceedings” in February 2022, Wednesday’s ruling said.

Florida continues to see a slowdown of first-time unemployment claims since brief spikes following Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The federal agency on Wednesday estimated that 6,085 initial unemployment claims in the state were filed last week, down from a revised count of 6,280 in the week ending Nov 16. The weekly total has been on a downward path since the week after Milton's Oct. 9 landfall in Sarasota County, when 10,800 first-time claims were submitted. The post-Milton claims surpassed the 9,556 claims submitted the week ending Oct. 5, after Helene made landfall in Taylor County on Sept. 26. The fluctuation in claims hasn’t altered the state’s overall employment rate, which has held at 3.3 percent for seven consecutive months. Nationally, 213,000 claims were filed last week, down from a revised count of 215,000 for the week ending Nov. 16.

In a long-running case, the Florida Supreme Court agreed to a public reprimand and 60-day suspension for a Seminole County judge because of events that took place in 2022.

TALLAHASSEE — Weeks after Gov. Ron DeSantis helped quash a proposal seeking to allow recreational marijuana, state health officials announced they intend to award medical-marijuana licenses to 22 of dozens of applicants who vied for the licenses more than a year ago.

The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to a proposed settlement in a disciplinary case that will lead to Polk County Judge John Flynn facing a 25-day suspension without pay and a public reprimand. Flynn and the state Judicial Qualifications Commission reached the settlement, known as a stipulation, in a case that stemmed from the judge’s 2022 election campaign. Flynn was accused of making statements that showed bias in favor of law-enforcement agencies. Wednesday’s Supreme Court decision, pointing to the settlement, said that Flynn’s statements “viewed in their totality, constitute ‘very serious’ misconduct.” The statements run afoul of canons requiring judicial candidates to “act in a manner consistent with the impartiality, integrity, and independence of the judiciary,” the ruling said. The court’s decision came after justices in June rejected a proposed settlement that recommended Flynn face a 30-day suspension. Wednesday’s decision noted that the commission’s revised recommended discipline took into account Flynn’s “immediate acceptance of responsibility, his remorse, and his cooperation with the panel investigating his case.” The commission also considered Flynn’s “newness to the bench and his clean disciplinary record as a lawyer and a judge,” Wednesday’s ruling said. “We agree with the commission that these are mitigating circumstances,” said the ruling shared by Chief Judge Carlos Muniz and Justices Charles Canady, Jorge Labarga, John Couriel, Jamie Grosshans, Renatha Francis and Meredith Sasso.