Jim Turner - News Service of Florida

Legislative leaders are telling senators and representatives about a need to slow spending, at least in part, because federal money that flooded into the state during the COVID pandemic has dried up.

The federal farm bill was last updated in 2018. Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson wants state lawmakers to allocate around $50 million to help farmers impacted by the hurricanes.

Florida Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez, both Republicans, indicated they want to wait until the regular session to address Gov. Ron DeSantis' concerns on immigration and other issues.

Among them is one that would restrict access to social media for children, but a federal lawsuit means it will not be immediately enforced.

State Rep. Hillary Casel, a Dania Beach attorney, said the Democratic party “doesn’t represent my values.” Tampa Rep. Susan Valdes switched parties earlier this month.

The law that went into effect in 2014 allows undocumented immigrant students to avoid higher out-of-state tuition rates if they meet certain criteria. Albritton suggested putting a “sunset” on it.

The proposals are expected to be completed by a May commission meeting, giving staff members time to compile data from ongoing studies about bear populations and gather more public input.

The citrus industry faces the smallest harvest this season in more than a century.

A spokeswoman for TECO said after the company was “still calculating the impact” of changes adopted by the Public Service Commission.

House and Senate committees will meet in parts of December, January, and February to start sifting through proposals in the lead-up to the 60-day session.