Government

Ahead of the Feb. 3, 2026, Naples City Council election, the League of Women Voters of Collier Council organized a candidate forum for all eight candidates seeking three open seats on the council. We’ll hear a condensed broadcast of the forum moderated by Naples Daily News Executive Editor Wendy Fullerton Powell and WGCU’s John Davis.

Payout limits for those wronged by the government haven't increased in 16 years.

After getting hit with lawsuits and objections from local officials, a Florida Senate committee on Tuesday approved scaling back a 2025 law that included temporarily blocking cities and counties from approving "more restrictive or burdensome" changes to growth plans. The Senate Community Affairs Committee voted 8-0 to approve a bill (SB 840), sponsored by Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach, that would revise the law.

The Florida Supreme Court on Monday unanimously rejected a proposal by Attorney General James Uthmeier that would have allowed certain state government lawyers to practice in Florida for up to three years without taking the Florida Bar exam.

The Town of Fort Myers Beach will begin issuing violation notices in the coming weeks to short-term rental properties that are not registered with the Town. The Town has identified approximately 500 short-term rentals currently operating without the required registration. Many of these rentals are managed by property management companies that have not completed the registration process.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is clarifying a new Florida statute regarding penalties for obscuring license plates with frames or covers. The statute went into effect October 1.

The Trump administration argues that providing real-time American Sign Language interpretation for events like White House press briefings would intrude on the president's control over his public image. This stance is part of a lawsuit filed by the National Association for the Deaf, which claims the lack of ASL interpretation denies deaf Americans access to important communications. The Justice Department suggests alternatives like online transcripts and closed captioning provide what's needed. A federal judge recently ordered the White House to provide the interpreting, but the administration has appealed.

The Trump administration has announced new oil drilling off the California and Florida coasts for the first time in decades. Critics say advancing the project could harm coastal communities and ecosystems, as President Donald Trump seeks to expand U.S. oil production. The oil industry has been seeking access to new offshore areas as a way to boost U.S. energy security and jobs. The federal government has not allowed drilling in federal waters in the eastern Gulf of Mexico since 1995, because of concerns about oil spills. California has some offshore oil rigs, but there has been no new leasing in federal waters since the mid-1980s.

The Lee County Board of Commissioners Tuesday selected District 2 Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass to serve as Board Chairman for the coming year and District 3 Commissioner David Mulicka to serve as vice chairman.