Florida
Florida Becomes Twenty-First State With Universal Licensure
Recently enacted legislation will allow licensed professionals who relocate to Florida to get to … [+]
During the nearly six years that Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) has been in office, Florida has moved from a battleground state to a solidly red state. Unlike counterparts such as Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (R-Iowa) — who has had to overhaul an uncompetitive tax code and fight for a number of other reforms to make her state more economically competitive — Governor DeSantis had the fortune of taking the helm of a state that, thanks to efforts and achievements of predecessors like Jeb Bush, already had one of the nation’s most attractive tax and regulatory climates.
The legislative session that recently concluded in Tallahassee demonstrated once again that, despite assuming leadership in a state that already boasted many policy advantages, Governor DeSantis and state lawmakers have not let that be an excuse for complacency. In fact, since Governor DeSantis took office, every year he and state lawmakers have pursued reforms to provide more tax relief, further expand school choice in a state that has long been a leader in education choice, and enact regulatory reform that makes Florida a less costly place to do business. The 2024 session was no different.
In signing Senate Bill 1600 on June 28, for example, Governor DeSantis made Florida the latest state to reduce barriers to employment by recognizing occupational licenses from other states. Twenty states have already enacted similar legislation, commonly referred to as Universal License Recognition (ULR), but as the nation’s fastest growing state, Florida needed this reform more than any.
Arizona lawmakers enacted the nation’s first ULR bill in 2019 and the benefits are already evident. In the five years since then-Governor Doug Ducey (R) signed the first ULR bill into law, more than 10,000 licensed professionals across a host of industries and trades have begun working in Arizona thanks to this reform.
In an opinion piece published in the June 14 edition of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Skylar Zander of Americans for Prosperity noted how SB 1600 builds upon licensing reform enacted four years ago, when Governor DeSantis signed the “‘Occupational Freedom and Opportunity Act.” That reform, Zander explained, “removed barriers of entry to certain professions licensed by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation,” adding that SB 1600 “will do even more to get people to work and reform our occupational licensing system, so we can continue to flourish here in the Sunshine State.”
This easing of regulatory barriers to employment in a way that will make it easier for new residents to get to work, note SB 1600 proponents, will benefit more than the doctors, nurses, physician assistants, dentists, dental hygienists, and other licensed professionals who will now be able to get to work in Florida more quickly. SB 1600 is also helpful to the millions of people who already live in Florida, both longtime residents and recent transplants, who will be benefit from an increased supply of health care providers.
SB 1600 will help rectify the shortage of care providers afflicting many parts of the state. More than 5.5 million Floridians, for example, currently live in places that have been designated as Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Enactment of SB 1600 will help rectify shortages of such crucial care providers.
With this action in Florida, nearly half of the country now has a ULR law in place. And for dentists and dental assistants specifically, this expanded access rises even further thanks to legislative action in nine states to join the Dental and Dental Hygienists Licensure Compact, a national agreement that enables dental professionals to practice in other states participating in the Compact if they are already licensed in a signatory state. At the current pace, most of the country will have either ULR or the DDH Licensure Compact by the end of this decade.
In addition, enactment of SB 1600 in Florida further solidifies ULR — along with the expansion of school choice and movement to flat income tax rates — as one of the top state policy trends of the past decade.
It took five years to go from zero to more than 20 states with a universal licensure law. Expect this trend to continue and for lawmakers in Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, and other states that have grown nearly as rapidly as Florida to be most inclined to consider this reform in 2025.
Florida
Pilot program aims to build $200K homes in Central Florida to help low-income families buy, not rent
ORLANDO, Fla. – For many Central Florida families, the dream of owning a home feels further out of reach than ever.
With the median home price now topping $400,000, a new pilot program in Orlando is trying to change that by building new homes for about half the cost.
A lot off Quill Avenue in Parramore may not look like much right now, but organizers say it could soon be the site of a new home priced around $200,000 for low-income families.
“We just really wanted an opportunity to bring actual affordable housing to people who have basically been forever renters,” said Satrina Whithead with the GXVE Homes Initiative.
The GXVE Homes Initiative says the goal is to help families earning between $16,000 and $65,000 a year get a chance at homeownership. Whithead said the homes could range from 500 to 1,400 square feet, depending on the lot size and location.
The Orlando Regional Realtor Association reports the median home price in the area is now more than $400,000. Whithead said GXVE hopes to sell homes for about half that.
“There’s nothing wrong with profit, but at the end of the day, I want to help where the need is greatest,” Whithead said.
Organizers say they are already planning to build in Parramore and are working to close on two additional properties. They also say they have properties planned in Sanford and Mims, with a goal of bringing eight homes a year to Central Florida.
“You can pay 80 percent of your salary on rent just to have a place to live. So getting that number back down to around 50 percent is extremely important,” said Mike Harris, vice president of GXVE Homes.
Florida Made Tiny Homes, which is partnering with the organization, said it plans to build concrete homes that exceed safety requirements for the area.
“I don’t think there’s going to be anything available on the market in that price range, much less new construction,” said Dylan Grace, co-founder of Florida Made Tiny Homes.
Program organizers say they expect to start construction in the fall and hope to complete the first home within six to eight months after work begins. For more information please click here.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A former Florida juvenile probation officer is facing more than 100 felony charges after investigators said she leaked confidential court and law enforcement information to people tied to a drug trafficking investigation.
Crystal Gaynell Ann Lawson was booked into the Orange County Jail on Thursday, according to Orange County Corrections records.
Investigators said Lawson improperly accessed the Comprehensive Case Information System, or CCIS, more than 100 times and shared information from active criminal cases with members of a drug trafficking organization.
FOX 35 Orlando reported Lawson was arrested on 113 felony counts of computer crimes for unauthorized access. Investigators said she allegedly accessed the database 106 times between January and May.
Lawson is accused of using the database to search for active criminal cases tied to members of the organization. Authorities said some of the information that was leaked included arrest warrants and documents connected to an active investigation.
Lawson was hired by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice in February 2022. As part of that job, she was given access to the CCIS database. Authorities said she was fired later that year after an arrest, but her database access was not terminated.
See also: ‘Elf,’ ‘Couples Retreat’ actor jailed with no bond after Florida arrest
Investigators said the leaks resulted in lost evidence, unrecovered assets and at least one person fleeing to avoid arrest before later being taken into custody.
Lawson previously worked for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, where she had access to the court information system as part of her job. Authorities said she was later fired, but her database access was not terminated.
Orange County Corrections records list Lawson’s case status as “presentenced” and show multiple entries for “offense against computer users.”
The records list the arresting agency as the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and show bond amounts of $10,000 on several listed case sequences. The jail record also notes an “ICJIS Affidavit.”
ORLANDO, Fla. – Strong thunderstorms continue to push across Central Florida Thursday evening, with a few storms capable of producing gusty winds, frequent lightning, torrential rainfall and isolated damage before activity gradually winds down later tonight.
The strongest storms are expected through about 10 p.m., with most of the activity weakening and moving offshore by around 11 p.m. Storms are being fueled by sea breeze collisions and abundant moisture across the state. In addition to strong wind gusts, torrential downpours could lead to ponding of water on roads and minor flooding in low-lying and poor-drainage areas.
While storms remain the immediate concern this evening, another round of impactful weather is expected Friday.
The News 6 Weather Team has designated Friday as a Weather Aware Day due to the combination of dangerous heat and the threat for strong to severe thunderstorms.
Before storms develop, temperatures will climb into the low to mid-90s Friday afternoon. Combined with high humidity, it will feel more like 102 to 107 degrees across much of Central Florida. Some locations could once again approach or exceed Heat Advisory criteria.
Scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop during the afternoon and evening hours. The atmosphere will be loaded with tropical moisture, allowing storms to produce frequent lightning, damaging wind gusts, and torrential rainfall.
The Storm Prediction Center has placed all of Central Florida under a Level 1 out of 5 risk for severe weather Friday. While widespread severe weather is not expected, a few storms could become strong enough to produce damaging winds.
In addition, the Weather Prediction Center has highlighted portions of Central Florida for a Level 1 out of 4 risk of excessive rainfall. Any storm will be capable of producing very heavy rain in a short amount of time, which could lead to localized flooding.
The unsettled pattern continues into the weekend. Storm coverage is expected to increase Saturday, and some locations could see multiple rounds of heavy rain. While a few stronger storms remain possible, the flooding threat may become a greater concern by Saturday afternoon and evening.
Looking ahead to next week, rain chances are expected to gradually decrease, but the heat is not going anywhere. High temperatures will remain in the low to mid-90s, with heat index values frequently climbing above 100 degrees. Forecast guidance suggests a higher heat risk could develop once again across Central Florida as we head deeper into next week.
At the beaches, a moderate risk of rip currents continues. Make sure you swim near a lifeguard if you’re heading to the beach.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
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