The Center Square (Page 25)

(The Center Square) — The Florida Public Service Commission held a hearing this week to oversee Duke Energy Florida’s storm recovery costs but didn’t issue an order. Docket intervenor Walmart opted out of closing arguments on Tuesday and will instead submit a brief due June 14. Duke Energy Florida servesContinue Reading

(The Center Square) — Florida regulators denied a request for oral arguments on Tuesday in two petitions by utilities seeking electricity rate hikes. On April 2, Tampa Electric Company and Duke Energy Florida filed petitions to the Public Service Commission requesting rate increases beginning in January 2025 if the commissionContinue Reading

(The Center Square) —The Florida Department of Commerce released a new report on the state’s unemployment rate, showing that while it has risen slightly from a year ago, it continues to outpace the national average. According to the report, Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.3% as of April 2024,Continue Reading

(The Center Square) – Lawmakers and consumer advocates are calling for a federal investigation into online Chinese retailers Shein and Temu. The companies have spent billions of dollars in online American advertising with social media companies such as Meta, parent of Facebook and Instagram, and Google. The probe is warranted,Continue Reading

(The Center Square) — A new report shows that the number of “nuclear” verdicts in the Sunshine State has steadily declined since tort reforms were signed into law in 2023. Marathon Strategies released its 2024 report on corporate verdicts throughout the U.S., and data shows a 30% rise in juriesContinue Reading

(The Center Square) — A Florida nonprofit organization released a report on Wednesday identifying individual budget appropriations that did not undergo thorough scrutiny by lawmakers. Florida TaxWatch released its 2024 Budget Turkey Watch Report on Wednesday, which is an independent review of the state’s fiscal year 2024-25 budget. Former FloridaContinue Reading

(The Center Square) — A recent audit of the Florida Department of Revenue showed that improvements were needed to ensure the safety and privacy of data. The Florida Auditor General found a handful of issues with the department’s operations, including not appropriately maintaining public records, a lack of oversight aroundContinue Reading

(The Center Square) — Florida will beef up its efforts to stem human trafficking after legislation was signed into law on Monday. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 7063, a bill that will make important updates on how Florida combats human trafficking and extends the lifetime of the statewide CouncilContinue Reading

(The Center Square) — A report on artificial intelligence provides guidance on how Florida policymakers can best deal with this emerging technology. The James Madison Institute released Bringing Government Into the 21st Century: Artificial Intelligence and State Government Operations this month and the report says that it is often thoughtContinue Reading