Florida Senate

A USA Today Network report says Dr. Joseph Ladapo's hiring at the University of Florida was fast-tracked ahead of his appointment to surgeon general.

Dr. Joseph Ladapo said he cannot communicate clearly with a mask and offered to meet outside with a state senator who has breast cancer.

Senate President Wilton Simpson sent a memo to senators saying it was disappointing to learn of the incident at the office of Democratic state Sen. Tina Polsky, who is being treated for breast cancer.

A letter to state senators from the national group Committee to Protect Health Care outlined a series of questions about Dr. Joseph Ladapo’s positions, including his opposition to required masks in schools.

The bill, which drew emotional debate among subcommittee members. would involve situations in which doctors know a person is seeking an abortion because the fetus will have a disability.

The proposal would create a one-stop number where veterans can get everything from peer-to-peer support to service referrals.

A House panel on Tuesday voted 12-6 to approve legislation that would protect nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospitals and physicians from lawsuits related to COVID-19.

As the 60-day session begins Tuesday, social distancing and other safety rules will continue to be in place at the Capitol.

During a meeting about procedural issues, Senate President Wilton Simpson advised members to get used to talking with lobbyists outside the Capitol complex.

The Judiciary Committee spent more than two hours debating the bill and four amendments before voting 7-4 along party lines to move it to the Commerce and Tourism Committee.