New bill could increase school book bans
Florida has more book bans in schools than any other state in the country.
And lawmakers on Tuesday debated a bill that critics worry will make removals even more common.
It says if a book is alleged to be harmful to minors, officials would be prevented from considering "literary value" when deciding whether to keep it.
"Without the ability to discern literary value, we could see thousands of books getting removed at every level."
That's bill opponent Stephana Ferrell from Orange County. She's with the Florida Freedom to Read Project.
Bill supporters accuse some school districts of using literary value as a way to keep age-inappropriate books on the shelves.
A Senate committee approved the book bill, sending it closer to full passage. All Democrats voted no.
Cocoa to resume adding fluoride to its drinking water
By a 4-to-1 vote Tuesday night, the Cocoa City Council decided to resume adding fluoride to its drinking water
Due to an equipment failure, Cocoa hadn't added fluoride for the past two years.
Cocoa pumps drinking water to 300,000 people in Brevard County and east Orange County.
The move to reinstate fluoridation Cocoa is going against a statewide trend of cities following a new Florida recommendation to discontinue the practice. Additionally, Florida legislators are discussing bills that would ban the addition of fluoride to public water supplies.
If passed, more than a hundred water utilities in Florida would have to stop adding fluoride to their drinking water
Governor Ron de Santis and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson have both shown strong support for the bills.
Evans Road Closure
Residents and commuters in Melbourne should prepare for temporary road closures as Brevard County begins a significant drainage improvement project on Evans Road. The $1.18 million project will require the closure of Evans Road at West Hibiscus Boulevard starting March 24, with an anticipated reopening in August 2025.
Duke Energy offers new incentives for Florida EV owners
Duke Energy is offering Florida customers credits for EV owners.
The programs include a one-time credit to defray the cost of installing EV charging infrastructure
Charging your EV during off-peak hours will get a $7.50 credit on your monthly electric bills.
Business Customers up to $12,000 to offset the cost of completing a fleet electrification study.
Florida does not have a tax credit for buying an EV.
The federal government offers tax credits for buying new or used EVs and installing EV chargers, but these may soon be eliminated.
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed the "Unleashing American Energy" executive order that stated U.S. policy was now "considering the elimination of unfair subsidies and other ill-conceived government-imposed market distortions that favor EVs over other technologies."
Meanwhile, American drivers bought 30% more electric vehicles by the end of February than in the first two months of 2024.
75 mph in Florida? Proposal would bump state's max speed limit by 5 mph.
A transportation bill working its way through the Florida Legislature to increase the state's speed limit by 5 mph, raising the max speed in Florida to 75 mph.
Law enforcement and safety organizations have spoken against raising speed limits. Multiple studies, such as a 2021 from AAA, found that higher speeds increase the driver’s risk of severe injury or death.
Currently, 18 states have maximum speed limits of 75 mph or more in certain situations, often rural highways.
Seven states have maximum speed limits of 80 mph.
The amendment does not appear on a companion bill in the House.
If the bill passes and the Governor signs it, it becomes law on July 1, 2025.
More: www.floridatoday.com
