Republican Liesa Priddy continues to flex fundraising muscle in the race to succeed Rep. Lauren Melo in House District 82.

Priddy has now raised $216,500 for her campaign, including $65,500 in the most recent quarter, as the race to succeed Melo takes shape.

The fundraising momentum follows recent endorsements from conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperityand the Associated Industries of Florida, an influential business lobby.

“Liesa Priddy’s distinguished background in business, agriculture, and conservation makes her an exceptional advocate for Florida’s economy and natural resources,” AIF President and CEO Brewster Bevis said in a statement last week. “We know her staunch conservative voice will be an asset to Florida’s business community in the Florida House, and we are proud to endorse her campaign.”

The lifelong Collier County resident has also picked up endorsements from Reps. Adam Botana and Yvette Benarroch, former Reps. Matt Hudson and Joe Spratt, LaBelle City Commissioner Barbara Spratt, Everglades City Mayor Howie Grimm, Everglades City Councilman Mike McComas, Hendry County School Board member Amanda Nelson.

Priddy is one of four Republican hopefuls running for the seat, which covers swath of Southwest Florida, including Hendry County and parts of Collier County. The district is open this cycle because Melo is running for Senate rather than a fourth term.

The current Republican field includes Priddy, Bill Poteet, Drew-Montez Arthur Clark and Hugo Vargas. Poteet’s Q4 report shows $4,525 raised last quarter with $28,372 on hand as of Dec. 31; Clark has raised $12,105 since entering the race in February and finished the year with less than $1,000 in the bank. Vargas’ report in yet available on the Florida Division of Elections website.

HD 82 is a safe Republican seat, with the GOP holding a 15-point registration advantage in the district according to the most recent data from L2. In 2024, Melo cruised with 70% support in a head-to-head with Democratic nominee Arthur Oslund.

It’s cheaper to Uber in Florida now, the rideshare company announced Monday, attributing the savings to the state’s passage of a new law cracking down on lawsuit abuse.

Uber said it is experiencing lower insurance costs following the passage of House Bill 837 in 2023, which is allowing the company to pass savings on to riders while enhancing earning opportunities for drivers.

The measure, which at the time was a top priority for Gov. Ron DeSantis, then-Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and then-House Speaker Paul Renner, made substantive changes to how lawsuits are filed and litigated in the state, all but eliminating the longstanding statute that allowed a policyholder who successfully sued their insurance company to recoup attorney fees.

The law also modified the state’s comparative negligence system so that a plaintiff found to be more than half responsible for their own injury cannot recover damages. The measure also adjusts Florida’s bad-faith rules so that insurance companies cannot be sued for bad faith if, before a complaint is filed or within 90 days of being notified of the complaint, they tendered the lesser of the policy limits or the amount demanded by the claimant.

The law has saved riders tens of millions of dollars on Uber rides, the company said. As of September, government-mandated insurance represented just 19% of a rider’s Uber fare, a drop of two percentage points from one year earlier. The company said fares have been as much as six percentage points lower year over year than in other states, particularly those with more robust insurance mandates, rigid pay standards, or additional fees.

“Florida’s commitment to addressing lawsuit abuse is delivering tangible results for Uber riders and drivers in the state,” said Javi Correoso, Uber’s Head of Federal Affairs and South U.S. Policy. “While other states continue to see auto insurance rates climb, Florida is moving in the opposite direction. By stabilizing the insurance market, the 2023 tort reform legislation has enabled us to keep Uber rides affordable and accessible across the state.”

Across the country, Uber maintains commercial auto liability insurance on behalf of drivers, including at least $1 million in coverage for property damage and injuries to riders or third parties when the driver is at fault during a trip. While the coverage protects riders and drivers on the platform, as well as others who share the road with them, the high limits have served as a welcome to personal injury litigation, the company said in its announcement.

As Florida moves forward with rulemaking that could significantly alter long-standing childhood immunization requirements — and as lawmakers introduce legislation reshaping vaccine policy — parents, physicians, business leaders, and public health advocates have launched Florida Families for Vaccines, a new statewide coalition focused on preserving evidence-based vaccine protections.

The group’s launch comes as the Florida Department of Health considers changes affecting requirements for several childhood vaccines and reporting standards through Florida SHOTS, while lawmakers prepare for debate on House Bill 917, filed by Rep. Jeff Holcomb. The proposal would reshape how vaccination status is treated in health care and school settings.

Medical professionals warn that changes to Florida’s immunization framework could have far-reaching consequences for children, families, and communities statewide.

“As a pediatrician and President of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, I am deeply concerned about proposals to remove requirements for Hepatitis B, Varicella, Hib, and Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines that protect infants and children from severe, sometimes fatal infections,” said Rana Alissa, M.D., an associate professor of pediatrics and board-certified pediatrician in Jacksonville. “These immunizations are cornerstones of public health. Weakening requirements, altering Florida SHOTS reporting, or broadening exemptions risks reversing decades of progress and invites outbreaks of preventable diseases.”

Physicians who practiced before widespread vaccination recall the devastating effects of once-common childhood illnesses.

“I vividly remember caring for children with Haemophilus influenzae infections before the Hib vaccine existed,” said Paul Robinson, M.D., F.A.A.P., an adolescent medicine physician in Tallahassee and past president of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Removing Hib from Florida’s vaccine requirements, or weakening record-keeping and exemption standards, is not just shortsighted — it’s dangerous. These diseases haven’t disappeared; they’re controlled because Florida maintains strong requirements and reliable reporting through Florida SHOTS.”

Parents say the issue transcends politics. A recent statewide poll by the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab found nearly two-thirds of Florida voters oppose eliminating childhood vaccine requirements, reflecting broad concern about weakening school health protections.

For some families, the debate is deeply personal.

“In 2009, my daughter Lawson went from a healthy, vibrant 18-year-old to fighting for her life in a matter of hours,” said Cathy Mayfield, a Tallahassee parent and founder of Run for Lawson, whose daughter died of meningitis. “We lost her within 36 hours — a loss no parent should ever endure. That is why vaccines matter. They prevent diseases that can steal our children without warning.”

Public health experts caution that weakening immunization standards could invite preventable outbreaks.

“As a pediatric infectious disease physician, I cared for children before the varicella vaccine and saw ‘simple chickenpox’ turn into pneumonia, encephalitis, and needless hospitalizations,” said Dr. Nectar Aintablian, a pediatric infectious disease specialist in Tallahassee. “Vaccines work so well we forget the suffering they prevent. Florida’s long-standing requirements, paired with tools like Florida SHOTS, are what keep these protections strong.”

Support for maintaining vaccine protections extends beyond the medical community. Business leaders note that stable immunization policies underpin workforce reliability and economic growth.

“When preventable diseases spread, the ripple effects hit families, employers, and local businesses alike,” said Julio Fuentes, President and CEO of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Florida Families for Vaccines aims to provide parents and community members with a unified voice as the policy debate unfolds.

“As Florida considers changes to its vaccine rules, I hope we maintain the consistent, evidence-based protections that have served families well,” said Northe Saunders, President of American Families for Vaccines. “That’s why we launched Florida Families for Vaccines — to give parents and community members a trusted place to engage and speak up.”

Meanwhile, HB 917, which does not yet have a Senate companion, would add vaccination status to Florida’s Patients’ Bill of Rights, limit providers’ ability to deny care based on vaccination status, expand parental opt-out options for school requirements, impose new consent and disclosure standards before vaccinating minors, and allow pharmacists to dispense ivermectin without a prescription. If approved, the bill would take effect July 1.

As rulemaking proceeds and lawmakers convene for the 2026 Legislative Session, Florida Families for Vaccines plans to engage parents, health professionals, and community leaders statewide through public comment and advocacy.

The group’s launch underscores a central reality of the months ahead: decisions made in Tallahassee will shape Florida’s public health, schools, and families for years to come.