Florida News That Impacts You – July 1st, 2025
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you throughout the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast.
- Today is the start of Florida’s new fiscal year and along with it over 120 new laws that took effect at midnight. Among the higher profile laws are Florida’s health related laws for children at school, Florida’s new animal cruelty law, tougher penalties for excessive speeding, new boating laws, anti-”swatting” legislation, new driver license education requirements for teens, the state’s ban on development in state parks, the official recognition of the Gulf of America in all state documents and many more.
- Among the new laws taking effect is Florida’s new budget for the fiscal year which Governor DeSantis signed yesterday. The total budget is $117.4 billion – which is slightly higher than the governor had outlined a preference for heading into the session. He vetoed $567 million in spending yesterday.
- The new detention and deportation facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” will commence operations today. The new detention center at the largely unused Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport is said to be able to house 5,000 detainees, making it the largest detention and deportation facility in the country. President Trump and Governor DeSantis headline a high-profile list of officials who’re be on hand for the facilities’ opening today.
- It'll be mostly cloudy and humid again today with highs in upper 80’s, which is typical for this date with a chance of rain and thunderstorms throughout the day. Saharan dust continues to influence our weather as another plume will begin to make its way over Florida later today.
- The National Hurricane Center is tracking a disturbance with a 20% chance of developing over or near Florida over the next week. The system is likely to be a rain event for much of the state.
- Gas prices rose from the lows of the year on Monday and are 13 cents higher per gallon today. The average price for regular unleaded in Florida is currently $3.07 per gallon. In Palm Beach County the average price is $3.21 per gallon, in Martin the average is $3.14 and in Indian River County the average is $3.07 per gallon.