Politics

Fiona McFarland’s push to raise lawsuit caps clears first hurdle amid local government opposition

Published

1 month ago

November 5, 2025

Sarasota Rep. Fiona McFarland is seeking to raise Florida’s limits on how much citizens can recover in lawsuits against state and local governments, once again reviving a proposal that narrowly failed to clear the Legislature last year.

HB 145 would increase the cap on awards against government entities from $200,000 to $500,000 per person and from $300,000 to $1 million per incident beginning in 2026, with an automatic increase after five years to $600,000 and $1.2 million, respectively.

The measure would also let cities, counties and other public agencies settle claims above those limits without having to seek special approval from the Legislature, as is currently required. It also aligns the statute of limitations for negligence claims against government entities with those against private parties.

Under current law, anyone seeking additional compensation from a municipality must win support from state lawmakers through a separate claims bill process.

“The families have to hire attorneys and lobby us to find a bill sponsor, wait for a special masters report, and even after all that only about a quarter of the claims bills that are filed up here in Tallahassee actually make it through to passage,” McFarland told the House Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee on Wednesday.

She said the change is a “responsible update to a centuries-old doctrine” meant to ensure fairness and accountability when people are harmed by government actions.

“The concept of sovereign immunity has deep roots in our country,” McFarland said. “It comes from an old English law where the king was said to be beyond reproach. In other words, the king could do no wrong, and the people therefore had no legal recourse against him.”

“Now, as Americans, we’ve always been a little bit allergic to monarchs, certainly to unchecked power, but we also have a healthy skepticism of taxes,” she added. “Although we’ve carried forward a version of that old English law, we’ve shaped it to fit our own system. Today, our sovereigns are not kings, but our government entities. While they’re not completely immune from accountability, our laws make it incredibly difficult for an ordinary citizen to be compensated.”

HB 145 cleared its first committee Wednesday on a 16-1 vote, though it drew strong opposition from local government associations and municipal officials who warned it could drive up insurance premiums and strain local budgets, especially amid looming property tax cuts that will appear on the ballot next year. The bill now heads to the House Budget Committee for further consideration.

Jacksonville Rep. Dean Black, who supported the measure, said it restores fairness to victims while modernizing outdated limits.

“Someone has to pay the bill for these compensatory damages, the only issue is who that should be,” Black said. “It could be those who made the mess, or it could be the person or party that has been injured. When the entire cost must be borne by the injured person, they are often devastated, their family is devastated, driven by excessive expenses to bankruptcy.”

Opponents, including representatives from municipalities across the state, the Florida League of Cities and school district groups, warned the changes would force cuts to public services. Chris Doolin, representing the Small County Coalition, said the proposal adds financial pressure to local governments at a time of fiscal uncertainty.

“We’re not in the same environment politically, and the dynamics are different,” Doolin said. “The dynamics will be defined in November 2026, when the public goes to vote on reduction of property tax. We’re in an undefined environment as to how much revenue will be available for the public. This bill will increase the cost of government.”

McFarland pushed back on those concerns in her closing remarks, arguing that critics have raised similar warnings for years.

“There’s always uncertainty,” McFarland said. “These caps were last adjusted in 2010, and when we tried in the past it was COVID; that wasn’t the right time to have this discussion. Then there was runaway inflation, and that wasn’t the right time either. I don’t know when that right time will be. I can’t imagine the circumstances.”

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Politics

South Florida home sales show upbeat increases for Palm Beach and Broward counties, Miami-Dade still struggling

Published

6 hours ago

December 7, 2025

May Greene

Condominium closings also increased in Palm Beach and Broward counties in October.

South Florida single-family home sales for November saw some notable improvement in the year-over-year comparisons while Miami-Dade County is still lagging in the back of the pack.

The monthly analysis of the three coastal counties from the Elliman Report in South Florida was released in the past week and it shows solid property sales in Palm Beach and Broward counties. Both of those counties showed notable upticks in signed contracts on single-family home closings last month with Broward leading the way.

There were 387 homes sold in Broward in November. That’s a 98.5% jump in closing contracts over November 2024 when there 195 houses sold. While the annual comparison is upbeat, Broward saw a slight downturn in monthly sales. There were 466 homes sold in October, accounting for an 18.52% decrease in the monthly sales.

“All property types showed a combined annual gain in new signed contracts for the third time (this year), with outsized annual increases observed in both property types” of homes and condominiums, Elliman real estate analysts concluded about Broward property sales. “New listings across all property types combined have increased annually at a rising rate for the past three months. The number of new contracts signed above the $1 million threshold has shown annual growth for the sixth time in seven months.”

Palm Beach County also witnessed an increase in annual home sales. But it was more modest than Broward with 321 single-family contracts signed in November. That’s a 27.9% hike over November 2024 when there were 251 closings. But the monthly sales were down in Palm Beach County, too. There were 347 closings in October meaning November’s sales posed a 7.49% drop on the monthly ledger.

Miami-Dade is still struggling in home sales, though, as the county has lagged behind its northern neighbors for most of the year. There were 406 home closings in Miami-Dade in November, a 30.6% decline from November 2024 when there were 585. The monthly comparison was also off for Miami-Dade as there were 487 homes sold in October, representing a 16.63% drop in sales.

Condominium sales, which have been struggling in much of South Florida this year, showed some improvement. There were 354 condos sold in Broward in November, a 41.6% jump from a year ago. Palm Beach posted 309 condo sales last month, a 33.2% increase from November 2024. Miami-Dade was the only South Florida county with a dip in condo sales with 406 closings in November, a 30.6% decline from a year ago.

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Politics

University of Florida breaks ground on College of Dentistry building facelift and overhaul

Published

10 hours ago

December 7, 2025

May Greene

The original College of Dentistry building was errected half a century ago at UF.

The University of Florida (UF) College of Dentistry building is undergoing major renovations and a multi-phase overhaul that will add more than 100,000 square feet to the facility.

UF officials announced this month that the 11-story college “dental tower” is undergoing waterproofing and insulation upgrades. There is also a modernization of key spaces in the existing building and a new building addition that will tack on a new area that will cover the 100,0000 of additional space. The original building was erected 50 years ago and the new additions and upgrades are expected to be completed in five years.

“This project represents the largest investment made by the state of Florida in a medical science building at any state university,” said Mori Hosseini, UF Board of Trustees Chair in a news release. “We fought for this because we understand what it will deliver for our community – for our students, our faculty and families across Florida.”

Some of the brick exterior of the original building is being removed. Crews are “sealing” the structure with work that is designed to prevent water intrusion. When that’s complete they’ll modernize the front of the building with a panel system that blend with the new addition. Work on that element is set to begin in August.

“The transformation helps ensure that the College of Dentistry remains at the forefront of academic distinction education, research and clinical innovation for decades to come,” said c, Dean of the college in Gainesville.

When completed, the College of Dentistry will see every room modernized within the building. Technological upgrades will accompany the physical overhaul as well.

“The College of Dentistry faculty and students deserve a space that allows them to focus on the patient, and the patients deserve a building that puts them at ease,” said UF Interim President Donald Landry. “The research done here will be transformative and add to the glory of this institution.”

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Politics

Monica Matteo-Salinas, Monique Pardo Pope square off in Miami Beach Commission runoff

Published

11 hours ago

December 7, 2025

May Greene

Early voting is underway in Miami Beach ahead of a Dec. 9 runoff that will decide the city’s only open Commission seat — a head-to-head contest between Monica Matteo-Salinas and Monique Pardo Pope for the Group 1 seat.

Matteo-Salinas, a Democrat and longtime City Hall aide, finished first last month with 23.2% of the vote. Pardo Pope, a Republican lawyer, advanced with 20.1%.

They outpaced four other candidates competing to succeed outgoing Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez last month, but neither captured a large enough share of the vote — more than 50% — to win outright.

The runoff has sharpened into a choice between two contrasting résumés, platforms and campaign narratives along with a late-cycle revelation about Pardo Pope that has drawn national headlines.

Voters are heading to the polls for the second time in just over a month as Miami Beach faces turbulence on multiple fronts, from state scrutiny over finances and charges that a local ordinance conflicts with Florida’s homelessness law to the removal of cultural landmarks due to their so-called “woke” significance and accusations of pay-for-play policymaking.

Matteo-Salinas, 46, has consolidated establishment support for her campaign, which centers on a promise to work on expanding trolley service, increasing the city’s affordable housing index and establishing a new “water czar” position in the city, paid by resort taxes.

She’s earned endorsements from several local pols, including Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami Beach Commissioners Alex Fernandez, Laura Dominguez and Tanya Bhatt; and former Miami Beach Dan Gelber.

Groups backing her bid include the Miami Beach Fraternal Order of Police, LGBTQ groups SAVE Action PAC and Equality Florida Action PAC, and the public-safety-focused neighborhood group SOBESafe.

Pardo Pope, 45, has centered her messaging on public safety, investing in mental health, backing school choice initiatives, supporting homelessness services, encouraging “smart, thoughtful development” that preserves Miami Beach’s character while addressing flooding and roadway congestion, and alleviating cost-of-living issues for longtime residents and first-time homebuyers through “fair taxation.”

Though she has touted her guardian ad litem work as evidence of her temperament and commitment to service, that part of her record has drawn renewed scrutiny in recent weeks. A review of Pardo Pope’s case records with the Miami-Dade Clerk’s Office shows her listed as a guardian ad litem on just three cases — one of which she was discharged from after trying to get the mother in the case jailed.

She’s also been the subject of negative attention for omitting that her father was the convicted, Nazi-adoring serial killer Manuel Pardo, to whom she wrote several loving social media posts.

Pardo Pope has said that she forgave him in order to move forward with her life and asked voters to judge her on her own life and work.

Her backing includes the Miami-Dade Republican Party, Miami-Dade Commissioner René García, state Rep. Alex Rizo, former Miami Beach City Attorney Jose Smith, Miami Realtors PAC, the Venezuelan American Republican Club and Teach Florida PAC, a Jewish education group.

Two of her former Group 1 opponents, Daniel Ciraldo and Omar Gimenez, are also backing her.

Matteo-Salinas raised about $133,000 and spent $82,000 by Dec. 4. Pardo Pope raised about $190,000 — of which 29% was self-given — and spent close to $170,000.

Early voting runs through Sunday at four locations citywide. Election Day is Monday, Dec. 9.

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