The House on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill aimed at curbing thefts of catalytic converters from vehicles. The House voted 105-2 to pass the bill (SB 306), which the Senate approved unanimously early this month.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a measure that will allow Floridians to carry guns without concealed-weapons licenses. The Republican-controlled Senate gave final approval to the measure (HB 543) on Thursday, about a week after the House passed it.

Tallahassee — A proposal to increase penalties for interfering in Florida sports events wouldn’t prevent fans from storming the field after big wins, according to a former All-American football player sponsoring the measure in the Senate. The Senate Judiciary Committee last week backed the proposal (SB 764), which also seeks to prevent people from benefiting financially from disrupting sports or entertainment events. Some lawmakers also want to take action against unruly youth-league parents and to grant immunity to players for tackling spectators who run on the field during games.

Tallahassee — With backing from Speaker Paul Renner, a House panel last week approved a bill that would lower the minimum age to buy rifles and other long guns in Florida from 21 to 18. The bill (HB 1543) would reverse part of a 2018 law that set the minimum age at 21 after a gunman killed 17 students and faculty members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Nikolas Cruz, then 19, used a semi-automatic rifle to carry out the attack.

By Jim Turner

News Service of Florida

Florida motorists can expect to pay more at the pump as the state’s month-long gas tax “holiday” ends.

The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas Monday stood at $3.29, about a dime cheaper than at the start of October. But the AAA auto club said that likely will change quickly when the state’s 25.3-cent-a-gallon gas tax returns Tuesday, after being suspended in October by lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Researchers have put forward a second above-normal forecast for the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season. Colorado State University researchers on Thursday predicted 19 named storms, with nine growing into hurricanes, for the season that runs from June 1 to November 30.

Florida’s aerospace agency has been working to bring a Space Force training site to the state after the command headquarters for the fledgling military branch landed in Alabama.